Short version: if the point of logging is to end up with EXIF baked into your scans on a Mac, Frames is built for exactly that and does it better. If the point is a quick, searchable record of every roll that syncs itself and costs you once, that's Film Logbook.
These two apps look similar in a screenshot — rolls, frames, per-shot settings — but they answer different questions. Frames asks "how do my notes get into my files?" and builds backwards from there, which is why it has a Mac app that writes metadata into JPEG, TIFF and DNG. Film Logbook asks "will I still be logging in six months?" and optimises for entry speed, automatic iCloud sync and a price you pay once. Neither framing is wrong. Which one fits depends on what happens after the roll comes back from the lab.
Pricing
Free tier is fully usable, not a trial. Pro lifts the roll limit and adds PDF export and custom icons. No subscription, ever.
View App Store listing ↗All plans unlock the same features across iPhone and Mac. Because tiers and prices change, we link to their page rather than quote a number that may go stale.
View official pricing ↗Which one fits you
Choose Film Logbook if…
- You want to pay once and never think about it again.
- You shoot on iPhone and want rolls to sync to iCloud automatically, with nothing to export by hand.
- You want to try a real free tier before paying anything.
- You log double exposures and want both layers recorded properly.
- A printable PDF of a roll is more useful to you than embedded metadata.
- You want fewer fields per frame, not more — speed matters more than completeness.
Choose Frames if…
- Writing EXIF into your scans is the whole point — this is its core strength.
- You edit on a Mac and want a desktop app in the loop, not just an iPhone.
- You want deep per-frame detail: filters, focal length, metering mode, focus distance, flash.
- You need XMP sidecar files for formats that can't hold embedded metadata.
- You want to tune aperture and shutter increments to match your specific bodies.
- A subscription or lifetime unlock is an acceptable trade for that Mac pipeline.
The real difference
It comes down to where each app thinks the finish line is.
For Frames, a log isn't done until the data lives inside the image file. That's a genuinely good goal — once your aperture and shutter speed are in the EXIF, Lightroom and every other cataloguing tool can see them, and your archive behaves like a digital one. Getting there needs a Mac app, support for JPEG, JXL, TIFF and DNG, XMP sidecars for everything else, and a matching step where frames line up with scans. Frames does that work, and if that's your workflow it is hard to beat.
For Film Logbook, the finish line is the log itself. The bet is that most people abandon logging long before they get to metadata — so entry needs to take a few taps, the app should remember your camera setup, location should be captured for you, and everything should be on every device without you managing files. Export is deliberately plain: structured JSON for your own archive, or a printable PDF you can sit next to your scans.
So the honest question isn't which app is better. It's whether you will actually run a metadata pipeline. If yes, that capability is worth paying a subscription for, and Frames is the pick. If you suspect you won't, you'd be paying rent on a feature you don't use.
Side by side
| Film Logbook | Frames | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 15+) | iPhone, iPad and Mac |
| Pricing model | Free tier + €5.99 one-time | Subscription, with a lifetime option |
| Free tier | Two active rolls, no time limit | See their site for current terms |
| Account required | No | No |
| Sync | Automatic via your own iCloud | iCloud on device; Mac transfer via exported files |
| EXIF into scans | Not supported | Yes — JPEG, JXL, TIFF, DNG, plus XMP sidecars |
| Per-frame depth | Core settings, notes, tags, reference image | Extensive, including filters, metering and focus distance |
| Double exposures | Recorded as a first-class case | See their site |
| Location | Optional automatic GPS | Optional GPS, works offline |
| Formats | 35mm through large format | 35mm, 120 and sheet film |
| Export | JSON, and PDF with Pro | Metadata written to files; app-native export files |
| Best fit | A durable, low-effort record of every roll | A Mac-based scan-and-metadata pipeline |
Bottom line
Frames is the better app for photographers whose logging exists to serve a digital archive — if you scan at home, edit on a Mac, and want your negatives to carry their own shooting data, buy it without hesitation. Film Logbook is the better app if you want the habit to stick: a free tier to start, one payment to finish, sync you never think about, and a record you can search years later. Try the free tier first; two rolls is enough to know whether the habit holds.
Questions
Can I use both?
You can, though logging the same roll twice gets tedious fast. Film Logbook exports structured JSON, so the practical version is to pick one for daily use and reach for the other only when a specific job calls for it.
Does Film Logbook write EXIF into my scans?
No — and that's a real limitation, not a wording choice. Film Logbook gives you JSON or a printable PDF. If embedded metadata is central to how you work, Frames is built for it and Film Logbook is not.
Is Film Logbook a subscription?
No. Free for two active rolls, then a one-time €5.99 Pro unlock for unlimited rolls, PDF export and custom icons.
Do either require an account?
Neither does. Both keep your data on your device and both work offline.
Two rolls free. Then €5.99, once.
See whether the habit sticks before you pay anything. iPhone, iOS 15 or later.
Get Film LogbookOther comparisons
Frames is a product of its respective owner and is not affiliated with Film Logbook. Details above were checked in August 2026 against the maker's public site; check theirs for current pricing and features.