# Lab Monkey vs ShadowMagic

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lab Monkey | ShadowMagic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $14.99 |
| Rating | [5.0 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lab-monkey/id1190143824/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowmagic/id1355895106/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 90.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 6 MB | 114 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Charles Peachock](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190143823) | [Crossroads Motorsport, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1457608809) |

## What reviewers say

### Lab Monkey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lab-monkey/id1190143824)

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.

**Highlights:** Large "long view" cue display, QLab integration, Same WiFi network required, Remote control system compatibility

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### ShadowMagic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowmagic/id1355895106)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lab Monkey free?

Lab Monkey is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ShadowMagic free?

ShadowMagic costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Lab Monkey or ShadowMagic?

Lab Monkey and ShadowMagic are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 13 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Lab Monkey or ShadowMagic have ads?

Neither Lab Monkey nor ShadowMagic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lab Monkey or ShadowMagic?

Lab Monkey ships an update every 2 months, and ShadowMagic every 3 months. Most recently, Lab Monkey was updated on September 27, 2026 and ShadowMagic on October 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*