This article was updated and checked for accuracy in April 2024. It was originally published in 2014.
Smartphone cameras are a much bigger deal than they used to be. Smartphone companies are trying to make their cameras more reliable, adapt better to dim light and add extra features to attract customers. This has become so important that many people base their purchases solely on the camera’s specifications.
Because of this, stock camera apps tend to be better than most third-party apps. Phone manufacturers know their camera settings better; they optimize them as best they can. This is especially true for Google, Samsung, and Huawei phones that use AI and other software enhancements with their camera hardware. However, a third-party app can be useful in some scenarios. These are the best camera apps for Android.
Best camera apps for Android
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Adobe Lightroom
Price: Free/In-App Purchases ($1.99 – $119.99 per item)
Adobe Lightroom is technically a photo editor, not a camera app. However, it also comes with a built-in camera app. The reasonably decent camera includes extensive key features such as HDR, RAW support and various modes and presets. Additionally, it has the usual array of manual camera controls if required. The good news is that Adobe Lightroom is one of the best photo editing apps for mobile devices right now, so you can use the camera app and switch to editing right away.
ReLens camera
Price: Free/In-App Purchases ($0.99 – $19.99 per item)
Umme Aimon Shabbir / Android Authority
ReLens is an app that instantly turns your smartphone into a professional camera with its advanced computational photography and AI-powered algorithms. The app boasts the large aperture of a DSLR, effortlessly creating stunning blurred backgrounds and cinematic effects. Perfect for photography enthusiasts, it offers features such as f1.4 aperture for portrait mode, reproductions of classic SLR lenses, various filters, depth of field control and more. Some other features include manual controls, 20x zoom and professional utility tools. ReLens also serves as a photo editor with AI zone adjustment, color grading tools, filters and HDR enhancements. Your privacy is protected because image processing remains local to your device. The best part is that the developers are still releasing exciting updates for this app.
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
Cymera is another of the older and more popular camera apps. It focuses more on the main features. This means that you will get a bunch of filters, stickers, special effects and similar features. It also has a beauty camera mode. It can add or subtract features to your face and body. We are not big fans of such dramatic changes, but to each their own. It also includes a photo editor for minor changes. It’s free to download. You can purchase additional items through in-app purchases.
SODA
Price: Free/In-App Purchases ($4.99 – $29.99 per item)
Umme Aimon Shabbir / Android Authority
Soda is an Android beauty camera that features one-touch makeup and filter combos, real-time beauty effects, and a range of skin-optimized color filters. It also has a portrait effect, which allows you to adjust the focus with one touch. The best thing is that you don’t have to compromise on quality; you can get high resolution images using this app.
Koda Cam-Photo Editor 1998
Price: Free/In-App Purchases ($2.99 per item)
Umme Aimon Shabbir / Android Authority
Koda Cam is another popular combination editing and camera app for Android. If you like the retro photo effect, this app is definitely for you. Add film scratches, dust effects and shimmering chromatic aberrations with one touch for that magical old-school look. Enjoy 30+ analog film filters, 40+ light leak filters and a creative adjustment feature that automatically adds vintage charm to your photos.
Handheld camera
Price: $4.99
Manual Camera is a relatively decent camera app. It includes a range of manual controls, including exposure, white balance, ISO, focus, shutter speed and RAW file support. You can even use it for slow motion videos if your phone supports it. The app also adds different recording modes such as burst shots and 4K video recording to create a well-rounded experience. The post-processing isn’t as good as the standard camera app, but it probably has some shooting modes that your phone doesn’t have. It hasn’t seen an update since 2020, so hopefully the developer hasn’t abandoned it.
McPro24fps is one of the most powerful mobile video camera apps. It has a variety of features, including pro-level stuff like 10-bit video recording and HLG. Some other features include LUT readouts, focus, metadata and more. Your phone must support some of these features to use them, but otherwise this is as good as it gets for video. The only real complaint against it is that it’s pretty fiddly until you get used to everything. It’s also relatively expensive, but good things don’t come cheap.
Open Camera is one of the most popular camera apps for serious photographers. It includes basic features such as exposure control, white balance, ISO, focus, shutter speed and RAW file support. There’s also a timer, support for external microphones, HDR, exposure bracketing and more. The app is completely free, with no in-app purchases or advertising. It’s also completely open source, which is always a plus.
Camera FV-5
Price: Free/$4.99
Pixtica
Price: Free/In-App Purchases ($1.25 – $4.99 per item)
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
Pixtica is one of the newer camera apps on the list. It features a bunch of neat little tricks and decent post-processing. Some features include live filters, manual controls, exposure control, GIF recorder, slow motion mode, RAW file support, QR code scanner and more. It even comes with a very simple gallery and photo editor. We love its wide range of features and its all-encompassing style. However, it does require a subscription for some features, and your stock camera app can probably still do better post-processing.
ProCam X
Price: Free/$4.99
ProCam X is one of the newer camera apps on the list and it does a pretty reasonable job. It focuses more on professional oriented features rather than social media style filters and stuff. The app includes burst mode, face detection, 4K video recording support and RAW support. There are also manual controls (if your device supports them), an option to mute the shutter sound, and several camera modes like scene or focus. It ticks a lot of the boxes for a great third-party app, and the post-processing isn’t half bad.
ProShot is a camera app with extreme control. It has manual controls such as exposure control, white balance, ISO, focus and shutter speed. The app is privacy friendly as it does not store, collect or transmit data. Some other features include RAW support, timelapse support, HEIC support (on compatible devices) and some pro-level stuff like histogram. You should try the evaluation app first to make sure your phone is compatible with all the features. We highly recommend trying it before you buy.
OldRoll
Price: Free/In-App Purchases ($0.49 – $94.99 per item)
Umme Aimon Shabbir / Android Authority
OldRoll is a realistic analog camera for your Android device. This free app puts classic camera styles and vintage film textures at your fingertips, eliminating the need for editing. You can choose from different analog cameras, each with its own unique filter. There are additional features like some effects, date stamps and more. The application is updated frequently, and the developers have also promised to release camcorders and video effects.
VSCO
Price: Free/In-App Purchases ($0.99 – $29.99 per item)
VSCO is a popular and solid combination of camera app and photo editor. The camera is a bit basic and not as powerful as your native phone camera app or some of the others here. However, the photo editor is among the best on mobile. It has various filters, effects and settings. It also has most of those same videos for video content. Perhaps its most unique feature is its ability to emulate other cameras. The worst part about this app is that it is expensive; you have to pay for many features, which is one of the reasons why it has received so many bad reviews recently.
Your standard camera app
Price: Free
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Every phone comes with its own camera app. Manufacturers develop these apps specifically for your device’s camera. There are often features that these apps have that third-party apps don’t. In addition, post-processing is adjusted specifically for your device. It seems silly to put your stock camera app on this list, but rest assured, that’s because you won’t get the image quality or device-specific features of any other app.
Some other benefits include extras. For example, Samsung phones usually have additional camera modes that you can download as add-ons that you wouldn’t get from a third-party app. Developers have trouble developing camera apps for every existing phone camera, while an OEM has all the time in the world to build an app specifically for your phone. Your best option is the stock camera app; the rest of this list should augment that experience.
If we missed any of the best camera apps for Android, tell us about them in the comments.