ShutterTime vs PhotoPills
ShutterTime and PhotoPills both help photographers plan shoots, but they approach the problem differently. PhotoPills is a one-time purchase iOS/Android app focused on precise sun and moon positioning with augmented reality. ShutterTime is a web and mobile platform focused on weather-integrated scoring with real-time condition monitoring across multiple locations. Here's how they compare.
How ShutterTime works
Weather-Integrated Scoring
Every location gets a 0-100 score that combines weather, light, tides, and astronomy conditions into a single number. No more juggling multiple data sources.
Multi-Location Monitoring
Track conditions across all your saved locations simultaneously. See which spots are scoring highest right now or in the coming days.
Automated Condition Alerts
Set score thresholds and get push notifications when conditions meet your criteria. Stop checking apps—let the conditions come to you.
Tide Integration
Tide predictions synced with golden hour and other phases. Know when low tide and sunset overlap for seascape photography.
Phase-Based Timing
Scores are calculated for each phase—golden hour, blue hour, astronomical night—so you know the best time for your specific type of photography.
Web + Mobile Access
Use ShutterTime on any device with a browser, plus native iOS and Android apps with offline support.
How PhotoPills works
Augmented Reality Planner
Point your phone at the landscape and see where the sun, moon, and Milky Way will be at any date and time. Powerful for pre-visualizing compositions.
Night AR
AR mode for planning Milky Way shots, star trails, and meteor showers. See the galactic center position overlaid on the real landscape.
Sun/Moon Ephemeris
Detailed sun and moon position data including azimuth, altitude, rise/set times, and phase. Precise astronomical calculations.
Offline First
All calculations work offline. No internet needed for sun, moon, and Milky Way planning. Good for remote locations.
One-Time Purchase
Pay once and use forever. No recurring subscription fees. All features included in the purchase price.
Depth of Field & Exposure Calculators
Built-in tools for calculating depth of field, exposure time, and hyperfocal distance.
Feature comparison
| Feature | ShutterTime | PhotoPills |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Weather + condition scoring | Sun/moon positioning + AR |
| Weather integration | Core feature: multi-source weather data combined into scores | Basic weather widget, not integrated into planning |
| Tide data | Built-in tide predictions synced with phases | Not included |
| Augmented reality | Not available | Sun, moon, and Milky Way AR overlays |
| Condition alerts | Push notifications when score thresholds are met | Basic alerts for sun/moon events |
| Multi-location monitoring | Dashboard showing all locations with live scores | One location at a time |
| Offline use | Limited offline (cached data) | Full offline support for astronomical data |
| Pricing | Free tier + subscription plans | One-time purchase (~$10 USD) |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Golden hour timing | Yes, with weather-quality scoring | Yes, with precise position data |
| Milky Way planning | Visibility scoring with light pollution and moon phase | AR overlay with precise galactic center positioning |
Frequently asked questions
Can I use ShutterTime and PhotoPills together?
Yes, many photographers use both. ShutterTime excels at telling you when conditions will be good (weather, tides, overall scoring), while PhotoPills excels at telling you exactly where the sun or moon will be in the frame. Use ShutterTime to pick the day, PhotoPills to plan the composition.
Which is better for landscape photography?
It depends on your biggest challenge. If you often arrive at a location only to find poor weather or flat light, ShutterTime's condition scoring and alerts will save you wasted trips. If you need to know exactly where the sun will align with a mountain or building, PhotoPills' AR planner is hard to beat.
Does ShutterTime have sun and moon position data?
Yes. ShutterTime calculates sun and moon positions including rise/set times, altitude, azimuth, and moon phase. However, it does not have an augmented reality view. The position data feeds into the scoring system to determine optimal shooting phases.
Why would I pay a subscription when PhotoPills is a one-time purchase?
ShutterTime's subscription covers ongoing costs for real-time weather data from multiple providers, tide predictions, and condition monitoring infrastructure. Weather data requires continuous API access that has per-request costs. PhotoPills' astronomical calculations can run entirely on-device with no ongoing data costs.
Verdict
ShutterTime and PhotoPills solve different parts of the photography planning problem. ShutterTime is the stronger choice if weather-dependent conditions are your main concern—monitoring multiple locations, getting automated alerts when conditions peak, and having tide data integrated with light phases. PhotoPills is the stronger choice if precise sun and moon positioning is critical to your compositions, especially with its augmented reality features for pre-visualizing shots. Many serious photographers find value in using both.