Comparison

Lume vs Benro Connect

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

Head to head
About

Lume

Control multiple portable LED lights simultaneously and individually from your iPhone. Achieve professional-quality lighting for photos and videos, enhancing your creative output for social media or portfolios.

Highlights
  • Simultaneous sync of multiple lights
  • Individual light control
  • Professional lighting for photos/videos
  • Enhance creative output
  • Social media content creation
Features
Read full description

Lume Cube - Staff pick on Kickstarter, named USA Today’s Best of CES and VideoMaker Editor's CES Choice Award winner. With this intuitive companion iPhone app, you can simultaneously sync and individually control Lume Cubes and Lume Cube AIRs to create dynamic, dramatic, professional quality images and video to add to your portfolio or upload directly to social media. Photography is the study of light, the right light is critical to the creation of any masterpiece. Lume Cubes and Lume Cube AIRs are controlled by this iPhone app, opening new creative possibilities for photographers of any skill level. The ability to simultaneously sync and individually control multiple Lume Cubes and Lume Cube AIRs through the app makes Lume-X the ultimate tool for capturing content on the fly or setting up an entire scene. These rugged little lights are the perfect solution for the novice iPhonographer looking to take their images to the next level or for the seasoned vet needing to add the perfect light to get their desired result.

About

Benro Connect

Control your smart tripod head and modules for advanced photography. Remotely adjust angles, preview shots, and utilize programmable modes like time-lapse and panoramas. Achieve professional astrophotography and smooth day-to-night time-lapses with real-time light detection.

Highlights
  • Remote tripod head control
  • Real-time shot preview
  • Programmable shooting modes
  • Astrophotography tracking
  • Holy Grail time-lapse
  • Live streaming capability
Features
Read full description

Benro Connect is designed to control the Polaris Smart Electric Tripod Head and Theta Smart Modules, delivering an uparalleled experience in long-distance photography. [Polaris Smart Electric Tripod Head] With the app connected to Polaris, you can remotely control the shooting angle and preview your shots in real-time on your mobile device via Wi-Fi or cellular networks, offering great flexibility. The app supports various programmable shooting modes such as time-lapse, panoramic shooting, and sunrise/sunset time-lapse. Additionally, when paired with the optional Astro kit, Polaris can be transformed into a professional equatorial mount, allowing you to easily capture stars using the GoTo feature and automatically track stars for long-exposure shots without star trails. [Fine-Tuning and Remote Control] By wirelessly connecting the app with Battery Module and Camera Control Module, you can not only fine-tune the leveling but also achieve precise remote camera control, including live view, parameter adjustments, and media file management, making the shooting process more efficient and flexible. [Holy Grail Time-Lapse Shooting] By wirelessly connecting the app with Battery Module, Camera Control and Optical Sensor Module, enabling real-time ambient light detection. The Camera Control Module can then combine sensor input with advanced algorithms to dynamically adjust exposure settings, ensuring smooth transitions from day to night (and vice versa) for Holy Grail time-lapse photography. [Live Streaming] By wirelessly connecting the app to Battery Module and GoLive Module, you can easily enable real-time live streaming.

Screenshots

Lume4 screens
Benro Connect4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Lume at 2.8 against Benro Connect's 2.3. Lume also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). Benro Connect's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (41% vs 23%). On price, ratings volume, 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

Lume holds the better App Store score, 2.8 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 90 and 33 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 23% of Lume's written reviews are positive against 41% of Benro Connect's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lume ships an update every 3 months, Benro Connect every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Lume versus Benro Connect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLumeBenro Connect
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (90 ratings) — better2.3 (33 ratings)
Positive reviews23.2% of reviews40.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings90 — better33
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB327 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLume Cube, LLCBenro Image Technology Industrial Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Lume

All ratings90 ratings
Positive36.7%
Neutral13.3%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews56 reviews
Positive23.2%
Neutral17.9%
Negative58.9%

Benro Connect

All ratings28 ratings
Positive28.6%
Neutral10.7%
Negative60.7%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive40.7%
Neutral14.8%
Negative44.4%

Bugs and requests

Lume

Reported bugs

41 issues
  • Bluetooth connection is lost frequently
  • App crashes frequently
  • UI is janky, cluttered, and parts are off-screen
  • Labels and toggles don't always function correctly
  • Sliders used as buttons are confusing
Show 36 more
  • Battery meter is inaccurate when ON
  • App doesn't optimize for iPad lenses
  • Cube light is harsh on edges
  • App doesn't support RAW
  • Camera interface needs update
  • App requires full phone access (camera, mic, photos)
  • Doesn't utilize volume buttons as shutter release
  • Dive mode doesn't work
  • No support for iPhone 11 (Pro) cameras
  • Camera angles don't match iPhone X/11
  • Dragging left on intensity sliders triggers delete bar
  • Email required to pair Bluetooth
  • Light settings are funky and get stuck
  • Brightness slider is off by a power of 10 (e.g., 5% is 50%)
  • iPhone gets hot when app is running
  • App drains phone battery significantly
  • Dark mode text fields are unreadable
  • App defaults to camera app, not light controls
  • Only one light can be connected
  • UI is broken, portions don't show up
  • App doesn't work with Cube 2.0 for brightness control
  • Difficult to navigate
  • Hard to read (battery percentage)
  • App is stuck on photo/video mode with blinking logo
  • Cannot register product
  • Bluetooth cannot find light
  • App is ugly and starts with camera app
  • Lights won't connect after new update on iPhone
  • Dive Mode not explained
  • Optical trigger not working consistently
  • Not compatible with iPhone SE, 5s, 5
  • Subject needs to wait a second for light
  • No controls or options in the app
  • No menu or 'how to connect'
  • Previous version had more flash options
  • Strobe option not useful for night photography

Requested features

15 requests
  • Support for newer GoPro models
  • Update app for iPhone 13 Pro Max camera features (4K, RAW, manual controls)
  • Control individual cubes or groups of cubes
  • Shoot in RAW format
  • Add manual camera functions (WB, Shutter Speed)
Show 10 more
  • Improve camera interface and lens optimization
  • Dark mode support
  • Use volume buttons as shutter release
  • Add timer option for group shots
  • Support for Bluetooth remote shutter remotes
  • Add grouping option for multiple lights
  • More flash options (flash length)
  • Integration with established camera apps
  • Improve UI/UX design
  • Add instructions and walkthroughs

Benro Connect

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Lume

No in-app purchases

None

Benro Connect

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lume free?
Lume is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Benro Connect free?
Benro Connect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Lume or Benro Connect?
Lume is rated higher. Lume averages 2.8 out of 5 from 90 ratings, while Benro Connect averages 2.3 from 33 ratings.
Do Lume or Benro Connect have ads?
Neither Lume nor Benro Connect shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lume or Benro Connect?
Lume ships an update every 3 months, and Benro Connect every 2 weeks. Most recently, Lume was updated on October 14, 2026 and Benro Connect on October 23, 2026.

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