Lab Monkey vs ShadowMagic
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lab Monkey
This application provides a large, "long view" display of QLab cues for users. It requires QLab to be open and on the same WiFi network. It is developed by Audio Ape Inc., known for professional remote control systems.
- Large "long view" cue display
- QLab integration
- Same WiFi network required
- Remote control system compatibility
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This app Lab Monkey will give QLab users a large display or “long view” of their QLab cues. You will need the application QLab open, and on the same WiFi network as this app. “Lab Monkey” is owned by Audio Ape Inc. We are the makers of professional remote control systems for iOS and all USB equipped computers. Learn more about Audio Ape Remotes by clicking the link at the bottom. (QLab and Figure53 are registered trademarks of Figure53, LLC. Seller of this application is not affiliated with Figure53, LLC)
ShadowMagic
A virtual lighting simulator for theatrical and stage design. Visualize lighting, color, shadows, and scenery with realistic fixtures and over 1600 gel colors. Save and share your designs.
- Virtual light lab and Black Box theatre
- Realistic Source Four® Spotlight and Fresnel fixtures
- Zoom and dimming capabilities with photometric accuracy
- Over 1600 gel colors from major manufacturers
- Precise fixture positioning and auto-focus
- Save, organize, and share designs as PDF reports
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A virtual light lab, or Black Box theatre for visualizing lighting, color, shadows, and scenery. The lab has a 40’ x 30’ stage and a 40' x 20' cyclorama. The theatre space is 80’ wide, 40’ high, and 80’ deep. Designers can choose up to eight fixtures to light a very basic scene. Two types of lights are available. The Source Four® Spotlight is available with 14°, 26°, 19°, 36°, 50° lens barrels. The The Source Four® 7” Fresnel may also be selected and zooms from full flood at 65° to spot focus with a beam angle of 20°. All of the beam spreads are photometrically correct. The lamp for both fixtures is a 750 W HPL, and when it is dimmed the color temperature decreases from 3200° K at full down to 2300° when the light is at 4%. Each light can be dimmed individually or the entire scene lowered using a grand master. Intensity has a resolution of 1%. A theatre lighting simulator would not be complete without gels and we have over 1600 colors to choose from the 4 major manufacturers. The gels can be assembled into a collection called a gel string and any color from the string can be applied to each light. Each of the lights may be positioned anywhere around the theatre to simulate booms, shinbusters, or the balcony rail. Resolution of the position is 0.1 feet. When focused on the actor, the lights are auto-focused so you can move the light’s position and see the resulting angle. Lights focused on the backdrop are focused manually by touching the cyc. When you move or rotate the actor, the lights will follow and stay focused right in the center of the body. Scenes may be saved and organized into projects. Both can be shared as a .pdf report with colleagues and friends to show off your ideas. While simple in concept and operation, ShadowMagic has subtleties such as reflections from a matte gray stage covering and the coloring of shadows from other light fixtures. From beginners to seasoned professionals, ShadowMagic makes visualizing and lighting a scene much quicker and easier and more fun.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Lab Monkey at Free against ShadowMagic's $14.99. Lab Monkey also leads on ratings volume (13 vs 2). ShadowMagic's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 90%). On rating, update cadence, 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
Lab Monkey is free to download; ShadowMagic costs $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Lab Monkey against 5.0 for ShadowMagic. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lab Monkey has 13 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Lab Monkey's written reviews are positive against 100% of ShadowMagic's.
Lab Monkey ships an update every 2 months, ShadowMagic every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lab Monkey | ShadowMagic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $14.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (13 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 114 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Charles Peachock | Crossroads Motorsport, LLC |
Customer experience
Lab Monkey
ShadowMagic
In-app purchases
Lab Monkey
No in-app purchases
ShadowMagic
No in-app purchases









