ChobialChobial vs Darkroom: the camera and the darkroom, compared
Yes, a film camera comparing itself with an app called Darkroom. We noticed. Darkroom is one of the best photo editors on iPhone: an Apple Design Award, Editors' Choice since 2018, RAW from hundreds of cameras, video, and the same tools on iPad and Mac. It doesn't take pictures, though. Chobial does both halves of the old job: it shoots the RAW with your film live, then develops it, with films you can make yourself.
| Chobial | Darkroom | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A film camera with an editor | A photo and video editor |
| Camera | Yes, with the film live in the viewfinder | No: it hands off to partner camera apps |
| Where your photos live | Chobial's own library, synced over your iCloud | Your Apple Photos library, nothing to import |
| RAW | iPhone and iPad RAW, ProRAW, HEIF and JPEG | RAW from 600+ cameras, plus ProRAW, HEIF and JPEG |
| Film looks | 46 films: grain, halation and colour built for RAW | Presets, including Kodak and Fuji sets, and thousands of free community presets |
| Make your own look | Yes: a whole film, with an 8-band colour mixer, split toning, grain, halation | Yes: custom presets from curves, colour grading, selective colour and masks |
Import / export .cube LUTs | Yes / Yes | Not described on its site |
| Share a look | QR code or file | Presets, and a community preset library |
| Masks | Subject, sky, people, faces, brush, gradients, colour, luminance | Subject, sky and depth |
| Heal and clone | Yes | Not described |
| Batch editing | Yes: copy edits and paste them onto many photos, or develop a whole roll in another film | Yes: copy one edit onto a whole shoot |
| Video | No | Yes, up to 4K |
| Devices | iPhone, iPhone Duo and iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro |
| How you pay | Free to shoot, develop, edit and make films, and to save in 22 films. Pro saves in every film, with masks and heal: $29.99 once, $14.99 a year or $1.99 a month | Try every tool free; Darkroom+ to export: $9.99 a month, $39.99 a year or $99.99 once |
Where Darkroom is ahead
- Polish and pedigree. Over ten years of updates, an Apple Design Award in 2020, and around 29,000 ratings in the US App Store.
- Any camera's RAW. Shoot on a Fuji, a Sony or a Leica and edit on your phone. Chobial only develops photos an iPhone or iPad took.
- Your Photos library, as is. No importing; edits stay non-destructive.
- Mac, iPad and Vision Pro, with one purchase across them.
- Video, graded with the same tools as your stills.
Where Chobial is ahead
- It's the camera too. The film shows live while you frame, with manual ISO and shutter, focus peaking and zebras. In Darkroom, you meet the look after the moment's gone.
- Films, not just presets. A Chobial film is built for the RAW, with grain modelled on real stocks and halation. Read film emulation vs presets for the difference.
- LUTs in and out. Start a film from any
.cube, and export yours for Lightroom or Resolve. - Heal and clone, for the dust spot and the wire across the sky.
- A cheaper way to own it. $29.99 once, against $99.99 once for Darkroom Forever.
Pick Darkroom
You shoot with several cameras, edit video too, and want one editor on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Pick Chobial
You shoot on your iPhone or iPad and want the film live in the viewfinder, made by you, with the RAW kept. Join the beta.
Sources, opened on 26 October 2026: darkroom.co, its Darkroom+ page, help pages on camera integrations, presets and RAW files, and its App Store listing. See all apps on the comparison page. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Questions
Does Darkroom have a camera?
No. Darkroom edits the photos and videos already in your Apple Photos library, and links to partner camera apps, such as Leica's, to take them. Chobial is a camera with the film live in the viewfinder, plus an editor for its own photos.
How much is Darkroom+?
Darkroom's own pricing page lists $9.99 a month, $39.99 a year, or $99.99 once for Forever, with Family Sharing. You can try every tool free; Darkroom+ is needed to export. Chobial is free to shoot, develop, edit and make films, and Pro is $29.99 once, $14.99 a year or $1.99 a month during the beta.
Can I use Chobial and Darkroom together?
Yes. Save a photo from Chobial to Photos and it's waiting in Darkroom's library. With Chobial Pro you can export the original DNG, or export your Chobial film as a .cube LUT for other apps.