TELLO vs LightCut
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
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.
- AI-powered automatic video creation
- Diverse video templates
- Inspire Cam shooting modes
- Video trimmer and cutter
- Tilt-Shift effects
- Aerial AudioMatch sound effects
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
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.
| Parameter | TELLO | LightCut |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (795 ratings) | 4.9 (17K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 31.2% of reviews | 92.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 795 | 17K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 43 MB | 354 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Shenzhen RYZE Tech Co., Ltd. | Yue-Jie Innovations Science and Technology Co. , Ltd. |
Customer experience
TELLO
LightCut
User reviews
TELLO
From 795 App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
TELLO
No in-app purchases
LightCut
No in-app purchases









