Manhole
For mobile users interested in retro, 90s-inspired photography and vintage aesthetic filters.
Huji CamSnapshot
Who is Manhole?
Providing mobile users with a nostalgic, analog-style photography experience. Capturing the aesthetic of 1998 film through a vintage viewfinder interface.
Target audience
Portfolio
Free 1Last updated
Huji Cam
v2.5
8mo ago
Publisher DNA
What defines Manhole?
Publisher DNA
Primary focus
Photo & Video · Analog-style camera filters
Scale
indie
Target audience
Mobile users interested in retro, 90s-inspired photography and vintage aesthetic filters.
Signature Patterns
- •Focus on single-purpose utility apps with a strong aesthetic niche
- •Monetization via free-to-use model
- •Emphasis on simulated vintage hardware interfaces
- •Low-frequency, maintenance-oriented release cadence
Portfolio momentum
Released 1 update in the last 6 months for their single active application, indicating a maintenance-focused development cycle.
Company profile
low confidence- Founded
- 2018
Portfolio
What does Manhole ship?
Apps
1 app analysed
Rivals
Who does Manhole compete with?
The rivals identified
Nemeses(1)
Both applications target mobile users seeking retro aesthetic photography, but ISM captures the social media creator segment through automated editing tools that Huji Cam lacks.
Contenders(6)
Both applications target the retro film aesthetic market, competing for users seeking analog photography effects on mobile devices.
Both apps target the retro photography market by providing analog film aesthetics, forcing users to choose between Huji Cam's hardware-mimicking simplicity and 1967's manual editing tools.
Both applications target users seeking retro, 90s-inspired analog film aesthetics, creating direct competition for the same photography-focused audience.
Both applications compete for the retro-photography market by offering distinct vintage camera simulations, specifically targeting users who prefer analog film or Y2K-era digital textures.
Both applications target users seeking retro photography aesthetics, competing directly for the same mobile audience interested in analog film simulation.
Both applications target users seeking 90s-inspired analog film aesthetics, creating direct competition for the same photography-focused audience.
Same space(18)
Pecra automates professional lighting and detail enhancements for users who prefer hands-off, post-ready results over manual analog simulation.
Dispo mimics the disposable camera experience to encourage spontaneous, social photo sharing rather than post-processed aesthetic editing.
known for
Protake - Mobile Cinema Camera
Protake provides advanced manual controls and multi-device monitoring for mobile videography, serving a professional production audience.
Blackmagic Camera provides professional-grade cinematic controls and cloud-integrated workflows, serving a more technical audience than the source app.
Hypic combines AI-driven image generation with retro digicam filters to serve the same trend-focused social media audience.
Canon Camera Connect serves as a hardware-linked utility for professional photographers, contrasting with the consumer-focused, filter-first nature of the source app.
Dazz Cam competes for the vintage photography niche by offering authentic film stock sampling and hardware-level camera button integration.
1998 Cam shares the same 90s film aesthetic focus, providing a similar library of retro filters and cinematic effects for casual users.
FaceApp targets the same social media creator audience but focuses on AI-driven facial modification rather than analog film aesthetics.
radcam offers a similar mix of live camera filters and post-processing tools for users seeking vintage and film-inspired textures.
Snapseed offers professional-grade, non-destructive editing tools that appeal to users who outgrow the limited, filter-only workflow of the source app.
Leica LUX replicates high-end hardware optics and color profiles for mobile photographers, providing a more authentic professional experience than standard film filters.
Users report: Retro shifts the focus from aesthetic photo capture to private, intentional memory curation among close social circles.
Prequel targets the same aesthetic-focused social media demographic with motion-graphics and depth-mapping tools instead of simple analog film filters.
WayShot uses AI personas to automate the application of vintage and professional aesthetics, simplifying the editing process for casual social media users.
Blur Background provides a specialized utility for manual image obscuration, serving a different functional need than the source app's aesthetic film simulation.
VSCO targets the same creative community with a professional preset library, though it offers more advanced editing tools than the source app.
Meitu provides a broader suite of AI-assisted editing tools for social media creators, shifting focus from pure analog simulation to generative art effects.
New entrants(1)
Zoom Camera targets photography enthusiasts with manual camera controls like focus peaking, offering more technical utility than the source app.
The Analyst's Read
The bottom line on Manhole
Bottom line
Manhole, Inc. is a single-app studio that has successfully monetized the retro-photography trend. Their long-term viability depends on their ability to maintain user interest in a static, niche-focused tool without diversifying their portfolio.
Frequently asked questions
How many apps does Manhole publish?
What kind of apps does Manhole make?
What is Manhole's top app?
What fed this analysis
- Apps analyzed:
- 1
- With full intel:
- 0
- With overview:
- 1
- Website scraped:
- yes
- Social presence:
- no