ChobialChobial vs VSCO Capture: live film looks on iPhone, compared
VSCO Capture is VSCO's free camera app: RAW and ProRAW, over 50 live presets, and film effects like halation and grain, all live in the viewfinder. It's a strong app. The big differences with Chobial are who makes the look, whether you need an account, and video.
| Chobial | VSCO Capture | |
|---|---|---|
| Shoots RAW and ProRAW | Yes | Yes |
| Look live while you frame | Yes, 15 films plus your own | Yes, 50+ VSCO presets |
| Halation and grain | Yes, grain modelled on real stocks | Yes, with strength, size and colour |
| Make your own look | Yes: curves, colour mixer, split toning, grain, halation, LUTs | Not described |
Import / export .cube LUTs | Yes / Yes | No / No |
| Share a look | QR code or file | No |
| Re-develop a photo later | Yes, in the same app | Yes, in the VSCO app |
| Masks and heal | Yes | AI Remove in the VSCO app, paid |
| Manual shutter, ISO, white balance | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch shutter | Yes | No |
| Video | No | Yes |
| Generative AI | None | Yes, in the VSCO app |
| Account | None | VSCO account required |
| How you pay | Free to shoot, develop and make films; pay to export | Free; VSCO memberships for the editor |
Where VSCO Capture is ahead
- Price. It's free, including export.
- Video. Presets work on video too. Chobial is stills only.
- Presets with a following. VSCO's presets are some of the best-known looks in mobile photography.
- A community and an editor on iPad and the web.
Where Chobial is ahead
- You make the film. Build your own from real film controls or a
.cubeLUT, see it live, and share it by QR code. - No account. Nothing to sign up for, and your library syncs through your own iCloud.
- One app from shutter to finished photo, with masks and heal and no generative AI.
- Apple Watch as a remote shutter with a timer.
Pick VSCO Capture
You want free, well-known presets, video, and VSCO's community.
Pick Chobial
You want to make your own film, with no account, and keep every photo open to it.
Sources, opened on 28 September 2026: vsco.co/capture, VSCO Capture's App Store listing, the VSCO app's listing, and 9to5Mac on VSCO Capture's launch. See all apps on the comparison page. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Questions
Is VSCO Capture really free?
Yes. VSCO Capture is free to download and use, and needs a VSCO account. Editing in the main VSCO app offers more with a paid VSCO membership.
Can I make my own preset in VSCO Capture?
VSCO Capture offers over 50 of VSCO's own presets, with sliders for effects like grain and halation. VSCO's site doesn't describe building a new preset in Capture. In Chobial, making your own film is the core of the app.
Does Chobial need an account?
No. There's no sign-up at all. Your films and settings sync through your own iCloud, and photos too if you turn it on.