Comparison

ZY Play vs NANLINK

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ZY Play

Unlock advanced camera controls for stunning photos and videos. This app integrates intelligent shooting modes like time lapse and slow motion, along with editing tools, to enhance your creative output. Connect to a professional stabilizer for professional-quality footage.

Highlights
  • Comprehensive camera controls
  • Intelligent shooting modes
  • Time lapse
  • Long exposure
  • Slow motion
  • Video editing features
  • Professional stabilizer integration
Features
Read full description

ZY Play offers comprehensive camera controls for convenient photo & video shooting, combining various intelligent functions including time lapse, long exposure, slow motion and more to inspire your creativity. With easy-to-use design and a vast range of editing features, it is a must-have app for anyone who takes photos & videos. By conneting the APP to a ZHIYUN professional stabilizer, it helps you create film-grade footage that is once only possible with a crew.

About

NANLINK

Control lighting fixtures wirelessly via Bluetooth or 2.4G. Create complex lighting effects for film and video production by managing individual or multiple lights simultaneously. Enhance production efficiency with intuitive scenario and group-based controls.

Highlights
  • Wireless lighting control
  • Bluetooth and 2.4G support
  • Individual fixture control
  • Synchronous multi-fixture control
  • Scenario and group management
  • Create lighting effects
Features
Read full description

NANLINK APP, a wireless lighting control application designed and developed by Guangdong Nanguang Photo&Video Systems Co.,Ltd, allows for controlling light fixtures via Bluetooth Network and 2.4G Wireless Protocol. The APP is compatible with devices that run on IOS and iPadOS operating systems. Based on the design concept of scenario and group, NANLINK can assist gaffers and cinematographers with the creation of fascinating lighting effects through the full control of individual fixture and multiple fixtures synchronously, thus to achieve more production efficiency at the shooting scenes.

Screenshots

ZY Play4 screens
NANLINK4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ZY Play at 2.4 against NANLINK's 2.0. ZY Play also leads on ratings volume (660 vs 93) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). NANLINK's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ZY Play holds the better App Store score, 2.4 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ZY Play has 660 ratings behind it against 93, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 16% of ZY Play's written reviews are positive against 19% of NANLINK's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZY Play ships an update every 2 months, NANLINK fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ZY Play versus NANLINK: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZY PlayNANLINK
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.4 (660 ratings) — better2.0 (93 ratings)
Positive reviews15.8% of reviews19.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings660 — better93
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size287 MB82 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer桂林智神信息技术有限公司Guangdong Nanguang Photo&Video Systems Co., Ltd

Customer experience

ZY Play

All ratings658 ratings
Positive29.9%
Neutral10.8%
Negative59.3%
Written reviews1,081 reviews
Positive15.8%
Neutral15.6%
Negative68.5%

NANLINK

All ratings93 ratings
Positive21.5%
Neutral5.4%
Negative73.1%
Written reviews72 reviews
Positive19.4%
Neutral5.6%
Negative75.0%

User reviews

ZY Play

From 660 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Works great with Smooth 4
  • 🚀 Lots of useful features
  • 💡 Good motion time-lapse capabilities

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 🔒 Requires excessive permissions
  • 👎 Poor user experience and UI

NANLINK

From 93 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy setup and connection (recent reviews)
  • 🚀 Instant light control
  • 🎨 Full color controls with multiple inputs
  • 🗂️ Separate fixture groups are handy
  • 🗄️ Presets save full HSL and intensity

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Lights spontaneously lose connection
  • 🐛 Short delay before settings appear
  • 🐛 UX overhaul needed, hard to find settings
  • 🐛 Presets buried deep in menus
  • 🐛 App doesn't have adaptive interface for iPads

Bugs and requests

ZY Play

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Frequent connection issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Tracking and stabilization not reliable
  • Resolution and frame rate issues
  • Saved footage not accessible

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for more gimbal models
  • Improve motion time-lapse functionality
  • Allow background operation for time-lapses
  • Provide more camera control options
  • Optimize battery usage

NANLINK

Reported bugs

59 issues
  • Lights spontaneously lose connection
  • Short delay between tapping light and settings appearing
  • Presets buried several levels deep
  • Lights spontaneously lose connection
  • Short delay between tapping into a light and the settings coming up
Show 54 more
  • Fixture groups not working after upgrading to Nanlink 2.0
  • Lose signal if further than 8ft from unit
  • App lagging and poorly working
  • Constantly drops connection
  • App constantly crashes
  • Recent update erased presets
  • Grouping issues after update
  • Cannot add fixtures to groups
  • App won't work without supplying personal info
  • Layout doesn't adapt well to iPad, wasted space
  • Login difficult, fields won't allow pasting from password manager
  • No import of existing scenes on iPad
  • App not working with Pavotubes
  • Bluetooth not working for T8-7x
  • Inconsistent operation, will not pair with lights
  • Exiting and reopening app locks up trying to re-pair
  • App asks for excessive permissions (photos, emails, texts)
  • New update killed presets and dropped connection to all fixtures
  • App doesn't work with new iPhones (dynamic island)
  • Cannot go back from one tube's settings to the previous screen
  • Settings don't seem to save
  • CCT mode doesn't work at all
  • Driving mode ambient dimming won't work
  • Poor Bluetooth connection, short range
  • Menu button placement issues (near phone's clock)
  • Never saves profiles or auto-connects to fixtures
  • App broken with iOS 16.2
  • Most of the effects not working
  • App can't find FS-150
  • Cannot complete registration (activation code never emailed)
  • App is abysmal, not user friendly
  • Cannot connect to Forza 300b
  • Settings changes on iPhone don't affect light
  • Lose connection as soon as 2 lights are connected
  • App is a complete waste of time, does nothing
  • Never responsive, struggles to keep up with changing settings
  • Server down, cannot create account or log in
  • App crashes on login
  • App crashes upon login attempt
  • App crashes every time on sign in
  • Overrides light values when connecting
  • Impossible to fine-tune a light on a set unless connected beforehand
  • Won't connect
  • Fail connection in groups
  • Slow app
  • Doesn't see most fixtures
  • Cannot get verification code to create an account
  • App freezes repeatedly after entering name, password, and verification code
  • Cannot login, stuck or frozen at login page
  • App freezes repeatedly after entering name password and verification code
  • App crashes on login with iPhone 13 pro
  • App crashes at login
  • App crashes upon login attempt
  • App crashes every time on sign in

Requested features

13 requests
  • Allow individual light adjustment within groups
  • Make connection more stable
  • Make settings appear instantly
  • UX overhaul, make important settings accessible
  • Put preset saving feature front and center
Show 8 more
  • Adaptive interface for iPads
  • Master control to adjust all lights simultaneously
  • Add a 'Streetlight' mode effect
  • Allow users to choose between HSI & CCT control for transmitter box
  • Add a demo mode
  • Offline mode for app usage
  • Gang effects across groups of lights for consistency
  • Allow multicolor effects at assignable points

In-app purchases

None

ZY Play

No in-app purchases

None

NANLINK

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ZY Play free?
ZY Play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NANLINK free?
NANLINK is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ZY Play or NANLINK?
ZY Play is rated higher. ZY Play averages 2.4 out of 5 from 660 ratings, while NANLINK averages 2.0 from 93 ratings.
Do ZY Play or NANLINK have ads?
Neither ZY Play nor NANLINK shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZY Play or NANLINK?
ZY Play ships an update every 2 months, and NANLINK fortnightly. Most recently, ZY Play was updated on October 22, 2026 and NANLINK on October 24, 2026.

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