2026 Triple Comparison
Three very different approaches to visual assistance. Oorion bets on a free French AI funded by grants and institutional partnerships. Be My Eyes combines free human volunteer video calls with Be My AI (AI powered by OpenAI's GPT-4) that reads, describes and identifies. Lumyeye bets on instant private AI with a native warm voice — and, with the Pro version, full voice control of the iPhone. Here is what sets them apart, honestly.
Side by side
| Criterion | Lumyeye Pro | Lumyeye Classic | Oorion | Be My Eyes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $16.99 | $14.90 | Free | Free (volunteers + Be My AI) |
| Business model | Direct subscription (independence) | Direct subscription | Grants / institutional partnerships | Volunteers + OpenAI partnership |
| Platform | iOS 16+ | iOS · Android | iOS 14+ only | iOS · Android |
| Visual AI (reading, description, identification) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ via Be My AI (GPT-4) |
| Human volunteer help (video) | - | - | - | ✓ (unique in the world) |
| AI response time | Instant | Instant | Instant | A few seconds (remote OpenAI request) |
| Native warm voice | ✓ | ✓ | VoiceOver synthesis | Synthetic GPT / VoiceOver voice |
| Fluid VoiceOver integration | ✓ (months of work) | ✓ | Standard | Standard |
| Continuous Vision Live | ✓ | - | - | - |
| iPhone voice control (Spotify, Maps, Mail) | ✓ | - | - | - |
| Tap / double-tap activation (auto-sleep) | ✓ | ✓ | Standard menus | Standard menus |
| Email the result | ✓ | - | - | - |
| Account required | No (Pro) | Sign in with Apple / Google | Yes | Yes |
| Voice onboarding at first launch | ✓ | - | - | - |
| EU hosting / strict GDPR | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Be My AI via OpenAI (outside EU) |
| Made in France | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Denmark |
| Ephemeral memory (private) | ✓ 20 actions, reset on close | ✓ | Check terms of service | Data via OpenAI |
Sources: official websites, terms of service and App Store / Play Store listings, verified on May 12, 2026. Prices and features evolve — if anything is inaccurate, please email contact@lumyeye.com.
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Download Lumyeye →Why Lumyeye
Be My AI speaks with GPT's synthetic voice. Oorion relies on standard VoiceOver synthesis. Lumyeye ships its own native warm and natural voice for its answers, descriptions, and readings — and a fluid VoiceOver integration (months of work) for those who use it. The result feels less mechanical, more lively in daily use.
Lumyeye Pro isn't limited to visual description: it launches Spotify, Google Maps, Mail, reads notifications — after a simple tap or double-tap, with auto-sleep at the end of the answer. Oorion and Be My AI focus on visual reading, description and identification: that's their core expertise, complementary to the iPhone voice control Lumyeye Pro brings.
Oorion and Be My Eyes use standard menus. Lumyeye is built on one universal gesture: tap or double-tap to speak, auto-sleep at the end of the answer, tap to interrupt. Voice onboarding at first launch. And on the data side: EU hosting, ephemeral memory of 20 actions, reset on close — where Be My AI runs through OpenAI's servers outside the EU.
Going further: read our full comparison of apps for blind and visually impaired users.
In all honesty
Oorion is a solid French AI, free for the user thanks to its funding model (grants and institutional partnerships), with EU hosting. For users who want a French visual AI with no monthly fee, it's a real option to consider.
Be My Eyes brings two unique things: a global network of sighted volunteers (a model with no equivalent in the world) and Be My AI — the integration of OpenAI's GPT-4 that reads mail, describes scenes and identifies objects. The app is free, supported by an OpenAI partnership. It's a complete visual AI plus the human dimension of volunteering.
Lumyeye stands out with: a native warm voice (vs synthetic GPT voice or standard VoiceOver), speed and energy in the back-and-forth, EU hosting with ephemeral memory, the tap / double-tap gesture with auto-sleep, no account to create on Pro, and — with the Pro version — voice control of the iPhone (Spotify, Maps, Mail, calls) and Vision Live. Direct subscription funds independence and fast innovation. Every user weighs those differences.
Frequently asked questions
Both apps are designed in France and hosted in Europe — and Oorion is free for its users (funded by grants and institutional partnerships). The difference comes down to experience and model: Lumyeye bets on a native warm voice paired with a fluid VoiceOver integration (months of work), on a universal tap / double-tap gesture with auto-sleep, on no account required for Lumyeye Pro, and on iPhone voice control with the Pro version. The direct subscription model ($14.90 or $16.99/month) funds independence and fast innovation, while Oorion keeps a menus / separate-features approach driven by its grant-based model.
Be My Eyes combines two services: video with a human volunteer (a model unique in the world) and Be My AI (AI powered by OpenAI's GPT-4). Oorion is free thanks to a model of grants and institutional partnerships. Lumyeye chose a direct subscription model — no grants — that funds independence, fast innovation, and lets it invest in the native warm voice, iPhone voice control, Vision Live, fluid VoiceOver integration and strict EU hosting. Many users keep multiple apps installed: each answers a slightly different need.
Yes — and it's actually common. Lumyeye day-to-day for the hundreds of small visual questions (fast, native voice, EU hosting), Be My Eyes as a complement for moments when you want to talk to a human volunteer (or use Be My AI on a specific case). Oorion can stay installed as a second free AI. Each app answers a slightly different need.
Lumyeye Pro ($16.99/month, iOS 16+) adds several things that fall outside the scope of Oorion or Be My Eyes: Vision Live (voice Q&A on what the camera is filming), iPhone voice control after tap or double-tap (Spotify, Google Maps, Mail, calls), emailing the result to yourself or a relative, voice onboarding at first launch, no account to create (you download and it's active), and Ray-Ban Meta compatibility (coming soon). It's the option for users who want to control the iPhone by voice beyond visual description.
No. With Lumyeye Pro you download and the app is immediately active: no password, no sign-up. Your email is only requested at first payment, after the 40 free queries. Oorion and Be My Eyes require account creation at startup (consistent with their business model). On first launch, a Lumyeye voice onboarding introduces and explains every feature.
Which app for which need
All three apps read mail. Oorion and Lumyeye do instant OCR locally. Be My AI also reads via GPT-4 (answer in a few seconds, remote OpenAI request). On Lumyeye Pro you can additionally email the reading result to yourself or a relative with a single voice command — useful for prescriptions, bills, official letters.
None of the three apps replaces a cane or a guide dog. To identify a sign, read a bus number or spot a store, all three AIs respond quickly (Oorion and Lumyeye locally, Be My AI via OpenAI). Lumyeye Pro adds launching Google Maps by voice without navigating menus. Be My Eyes in volunteer mode remains useful to describe a complex environment with a human.
Pulling a product from the cupboard, telling two medication bottles apart, identifying a shirt by color: all three AIs (Lumyeye, Oorion, Be My AI) read and describe in seconds. Be My Eyes in volunteer mode remains useful for highly specific objects that AI struggles to name (older models, handwritten labels).
This is where Be My Eyes remains irreplaceable. Talking to a friendly volunteer, asking for a reassuring look at an outfit before going out, exchanging a few words: Lumyeye and Oorion don't pretend to replace that need. Many users keep the apps as complements: Lumyeye day-to-day for speed, Be My Eyes for moments when talking to a human matters.
Real pricing
Monthly price doesn't tell the whole story. Here is the annual cost compared, based on official pricing as of May 12, 2026.
| Solution | User price | Annual cost | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumyeye Pro | $16.99 / month | $203.88 | Direct subscription (independence, no commitment) |
| Lumyeye Classic | $14.90 / month | $178.80 | Direct subscription (no commitment) |
| Oorion | Free | $0 | Grants / institutional partnerships |
| Be My Eyes (volunteers + Be My AI) | Free | $0 | Volunteering + OpenAI partnership |
Oorion and Be My Eyes are free thanks to their respective funding models (institutional grants and partnerships). Lumyeye chose direct subscription to preserve its independence and fund fast innovation (native warm voice, Vision Live, iPhone voice control, fluid VoiceOver integration, strict EU hosting). Over 12 months, the Pro vs Classic gap is about $25.
Privacy
Hosting in the European Union, strict GDPR. Lumyeye keeps only the last 20 actions in memory for continuity of a voice conversation, then a full reset on app close. No photo or transcript is kept on the server after the request. Data is not used to train models.
French company, EU hosting claimed. For details on data-use policy (training, retention), check the up-to-date terms before signing up. Account required (email, password), consistent with its free model funded by institutional partnerships.
Volunteer model: your live video is transmitted to a volunteer unknown to you (filtered by Be My Eyes). For personal content (home interior, sensitive documents), it's a trade-off to know about — or use Be My AI. Be My AI runs on OpenAI's GPT-4 infrastructure, hosted outside the EU.
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