Comparison

TELLO vs LightCut

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

Head to head
About

TELLO

This app makes flying a drone incredibly easy and fun. It offers intuitive controls for beginners, allowing you to launch, perform aerial stunts, and capture videos with simple gestures. Enjoy a first-person view with VR compatibility and precise control options.

Highlights
  • Intuitive UI for easy start
  • Throw & Go launch
  • 8D Flips for aerial stunts
  • Bounce Mode for automatic flight
  • EZ Shots for short video recording
  • Electronic Image Stabilization
  • VR Headset Compatibility
Features
Read full description

Feel the Fun! We set out to build the most fun drone ever, and we came up with Tello. Get yourself a Tello to find out just how awesome flying can be! -Tello App Getting started is extra easy with the Tello app’s friendly UI. - Throw & Go Start flying by simply tossing Tello into the air. - 8D Flips Slide on screen to perform cool aerial stunts. -Bounce Mode Tello flies up and down from your hand automatically. -EZ Shots Record coordinated short videos with Circle, 360, and Up & Away. -Electronic Image Stabilization Capture consistently clear images. -VR Headset Compatibility Fly with a breathtaking first-person view. -720p HD Transmission -Bluetooth Controller Compatibility Precise control for unforgettable experiences.

About

LightCut

This AI-powered video editor simplifies video creation with automatic editing, stylish templates, and pro-level shooting modes. Easily trim, merge, add text, music, and effects to produce polished vlogs and videos.

Highlights
  • AI-powered automatic video creation
  • Diverse video templates
  • Inspire Cam shooting modes
  • Video trimmer and cutter
  • Tilt-Shift effects
  • Aerial AudioMatch sound effects
Features
Read full description

LightCut is an AI-powered video editing app with awesome templates and effects that help you create stylish videos and vlogs with ease. Try the AI video editor for unique videos with just a tap, or the Inspire Cam feature, which lets you shoot like a pro. You can also trim and merge your video clips and add text, music, stickers, effects, transitions, and more for expanded creativity. Simple but powerful, LightCut is an all-in-one video editing app that’s great for beginners, professionals, and everyone in between.  Superfast AI-powered Video Editor -Automatic video creator to edit content in seconds. -Simply select your favorite video clips and photos, and after analyzing them for a few moments, the AI-powered One-Tap Edit feature will turn them into share-worthy clips, even in 4K UHD. -AI can analyze your footage and select highlight moments, matching them with suitable video templates for outstanding results. -Supports editing drone footage from the Mavic 3 Series, Air 3, Mini 4 Pro and Mini 3 Series, as well as handheld footage from the Osmo Mobile Series, Osmo Action Series, and Osmo Pocket Series without exporting the footage, saving storage space on your smartphone or mobile device. Diverse Video Templates -Easy-to-use Templates: Just choose the template and tempo you like, and then an eye-catching video will be made automatically. -Multiple creative template styles available: travel, road trips, nature, building & city, fashion, lifestyle vlogs, sports, aerials, and more. Inspire Cam Shooting Modes for a Pro-level Look -Unsure how to film or edit? No worries! Convenient tutorials give you step-by-step guides on how to get great shots in a wide variety of scenarios. -After shooting, a super cool video will be made automatically. This gives you everything you need to shoot, edit, and share videos in one quick step. All-in-one Video Editor with Powerful Tools - Professional editing tools and features help you make epic videos in a flash.  - Convenient features like video trimmer, video cutter, and slow/fast motion with easy adjustments make your videos instantly more attractive. You can even split videos into multiple clips. - Multiple stickers and font styles help you get ultra-creative.  - Edit and combine videos with filters, effects, and transitions.      Tilt-Shift Effects for a Surreal Look -Try Tilt-Shift Effects to give your shots a miniaturized and unique look. -Try city streets and other urban settings for truly stunning results.      Aerial AudioMatch: Automatically Add Sound Effects -AI can automatically add sound effects to your drone footage based on themes like Forest, Sea, Field, Urban Street, and more. -With just a few taps, you can add high-quality sound effects to your videos without having to manually search for and edit them. Whether you're creating a vlog, a short film, or just having fun, this AI-powered tool can automatically detect the action in your video and suggest an optimized sound effect to match.  -With a library of thousands of professionally recorded sounds, you can easily enhance the audio of your videos and take your content to the next level.

Screenshots

TELLO4 screens
LightCut4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: LightCut at 92% against TELLO's 31%. LightCut also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.3) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

LightCut holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LightCut has 17K ratings behind it against 795, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of TELLO's written reviews are positive against 92% of LightCut's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TELLO ships an update every 2 months, LightCut every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
TELLO versus LightCut: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTELLOLightCut
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (795 ratings)4.9 (17K ratings) — better
Positive reviews31.2% of reviews92.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings79517K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB354 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShenzhen RYZE Tech Co., Ltd.Yue-Jie Innovations Science and Technology Co. , Ltd.

Customer experience

TELLO

All ratings795 ratings
Positive55.5%
Neutral8.2%
Negative36.4%
Written reviews871 reviews
Positive31.2%
Neutral15.6%
Negative53.2%

LightCut

All ratings17,044 ratings
Positive98.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews2,318 reviews
Positive92.3%
Neutral2.5%
Negative5.2%

User reviews

TELLO

From 795 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to fly
  • 📸 Good camera quality
  • 🎢 Fun flight modes
  • 🤖 Stable flight

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes during video recording
  • 🔋 Short battery life
  • 🔌 No charger included
  • 🤔 Settings not saved

LightCut

From 17K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Quick video editing
  • 💡 Helpful templates and AI-powered features
  • 🎨 Good selection of effects and filters
  • 🤖 Intuitive interface for beginners

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🔒 Concerns about data/privacy
  • 🕰️ Limited customization options
  • 🔇 Restricted music/audio options
  • 📱 Lack of iPad/landscape mode support

Bugs and requests

TELLO

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when trying to view photos/videos
  • Connectivity issues, drone disconnects mid-flight
  • App not compatible with latest iOS versions
  • Firmware update issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Return to home function
  • Percentage battery indicator
  • Customizable controls
  • Panorama mode

LightCut

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent connection issues when transferring files
  • Exporting videos at lower quality than expected
  • Saved drafts disappearing or becoming inaccessible

Requested features

5 requests
  • More customizable templates
  • Longer video duration options
  • Voice-over/narration capabilities
  • Advanced color grading tools
  • Improved file management and organization

In-app purchases

None

TELLO

No in-app purchases

None

LightCut

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TELLO free?
TELLO is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LightCut free?
LightCut is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TELLO or LightCut?
LightCut is rated higher. TELLO averages 3.3 out of 5 from 795 ratings, while LightCut averages 4.9 from 17K ratings.
Do TELLO or LightCut have ads?
Neither TELLO nor LightCut shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TELLO or LightCut?
TELLO ships an update every 2 months, and LightCut every 10 days. Most recently, TELLO was updated on September 22, 2026 and LightCut on September 24, 2026.

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