EditAllThe best film emulation apps for iPhone.
For one film look across your whole photo library, EditAll. For a big preset library and a community, VSCO. For a retro camera that shoots new photos, Dazz Cam. For deep editing of single photos, Lightroom, Darkroom, or Photomator.
By Jonnathan Griffin, who makes EditAll. Updated October 31, 2026.
The short list.
Each one is best at something different. Prices are for the US App Store.
Every feature, side by side| App | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| EditAll | One film look on every photo in your library, already applied as you browse. | Free, Pro $25 once or $30 a year |
| VSCO | Hundreds of film presets and a photo community. | $39.99 a year |
| Dazz Cam | Shooting new photos and video through vintage camera styles. | $19.99 once |
| Lightroom | A complete editor with masks, profiles, and a desktop catalog. | $49.99 a year |
| Darkroom | Finishing each photo by hand with masks, curves, and color grading. | $99.99 once or $39.99 a year |
| Photomator | Pro editing of Apple Photos, with the same app on the Mac. | $119.99 once or $29.99 a year |
| Snapseed | A completely free editor for one photo at a time. | Free |
| Lutiere | Your own .cube LUTs on your whole library, on iPhone. | $39.99 once or $9.99 a year |
| Afterlight | Hundreds of presets, light leaks, and film effects for one photo at a time. | $39.99 once or $23.99 a year |
What film emulation means on a phone.
A film emulation preset recreates the color, contrast, and grain of a film stock, such as Kodak Portra, Fujifilm Pro 400H, or Ilford black and white. Most apps apply it to one photo at a time, which is fine for a single shot and slow for a whole trip.
The apps above split into three kinds: editors that apply a preset to the photos you pick, camera apps that shoot new photos in a look, and EditAll, which shows your entire library in the look before you pick anything.
How to choose.
Start from what you want to do with the photos. If you want a consistent look across years of photos, an app that works on your whole library saves the most time. If you shoot mainly new photos for fun, a camera app is simpler. If every photo gets finished by hand, a deep editor is worth learning.
Then check the price over time. A yearly plan adds up: over five years, the cheapest plans above range from nothing to a few hundred dollars. Apps you can buy once are listed in our guide to photo editors without a subscription.
See it on your own photos.
EditAll is free to download. Your first 30 days include every Pro tool, and nothing renews when they end.
Questions
What is the best film emulation app for iPhone?
It depends on the job. EditAll is built for putting one film look on your whole photo library at once. VSCO has the largest preset library, Dazz Cam is a vintage camera for new shots, and Lightroom, Darkroom, and Photomator are deeper editors for single photos.
Which app applies a film preset to every photo at once?
EditAll and Lutiere both do. In EditAll, choose a look and every photo in your Apple Photos library already shows it as you browse, with search, People, Memories, and a camera that shoots in the look. Lutiere does the same with your own .cube LUTs. Nothing is uploaded by either.
Is there a free film filter app for iPhone?
EditAll is free to use with all of its built-in film looks, and saves or shares 3 photos a day for free. Snapseed is free with no purchases at all, though it has fewer film looks.