Comparison

Blackout v2 (Legacy) vs Stellar by ARRI

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

Head to head
About

Blackout v2 (Legacy)

This professional lighting console app offers an intuitive interface and powerful effects engine for controlling DMX, Art-Net, and sACN lighting setups. It features a vast cloud fixture database, custom fixture creation, and advanced control options for seamless lighting design and execution.

Highlights
  • Cloud Fixture Database
  • Custom Fixture Creation
  • Streamlined Fixture Patching
  • Intuitive Fixture Controls
  • Multi-Cuelist Platform
  • Dynamic Effects Engine
  • Advanced MIDI Support
Read full description

Blackout is a revolutionary professional Art-Net/sACN DMX Lighting Console app for the iPad. Redefine your lighting with our incredibly intuitive interface and powerful effects engine. Features: - Cloud Fixture Database: Access over 44,000 fixture profiles licensed from Carallon, the leader in fixture profile services. - Create Custom Fixtures: Utilize our Fixture Creation Wizard to design your own profiles, perfectly matching your specific lighting needs. - Fixture Patching Made Simple: Effortlessly categorize and label LED fixtures with a streamlined Patch interface, ideal for batch management. - Intuitive Fixture Controls: Adjust parameters with ease in Fixture Controls and experience our NEW multi-dimensional color picker. - Robust Multi-Cuelist Platform: Organize and save lighting looks within Sequences, complete with customizable fade times, delays, and links. - Presets for Quick Access: Save and recall fixture parameters instantly, streamlining batch changes across multiple fixtures through our Favorites. - Dynamic Effects Engine: Explore limitless creative possibilities with our advanced Effects Engine, featuring intensity chases, color loops, and more. - Macro Functionality: Simplify complex lighting tasks into single-button actions for maximum efficiency. - Enhanced Data Visibility: Experience our reworked UI with new view states for displaying data in various formats, aiding quicker analysis and decision-making. - Advanced MIDI Support (Input & Output): Gain tactile control over your lighting with MIDI compatibility, suitable for both wired and wireless controllers.

About

Stellar by ARRI

This app simplifies professional lighting control for film and studio productions. It automates complex DMX settings, offers intuitive interfaces for color adjustments, and seamlessly connects ARRI and third-party fixtures. Organize setups, manage fixtures, and create custom looks with ease.

Highlights
  • Project and scene organization
  • Automatic fixture discovery (RDM)
  • Auto Layout for DMX management
  • Advanced color control (CCT, HSI, RGBW, x,y)
  • Fixture grouping and control
  • Import light plot diagrams
  • Export/Import projects and scenes
Features
Read full description

ARRI is improving Stellar since its introduction, closely follow technology developments and users’ feedback of this intelligent app for professional lighting control. Stellar reimagines lighting control by automatically managing complex DMX settings and by featuring control interfaces with stunning graphic design. Programmed intelligence and advanced communication make connecting ARRI LED fixtures and third party fixtures to the app simple and straightforward. Features: - Create projects and scenes to organize your lighting setups - Automatic discovery of ARRI fixtures using RDM - Auto Layout (automatically manages DMX modes and addresses) - Unique and beautiful user interfaces for all color modes - Control CCT, HSI, RGBW, x,y Coordinates, Gel Selection, Source Matching and Lighting Effects - Select gel and source matching colors for the L-Series - Import a light plot diagram to visually layout fixtures - Advanced color gamut selection in x,y Coordinates - Group fixtures to control them at the same time - Favorites to store a custom color or lighting effect - Look creation to store scene color settings - Live Sync - Export/Import projects, scenes, & favorites - iCloud backup - Change settings of fixtures - Control the master intensity of all fixtures - Multi-Select fixtures - Advanced search and sort functions - Quickly identify fixtures via RDM - Handles Art-Net compliant nodes and complex DMX networks - Assign names to fixture for easy referencing - Works on iPhones and iPads Stellar is the perfect app to quickly and easily control ARRI and third party lights in small to mid size studio as well as while on set. Whether a large film with many scenes and setups or a small project with just a few fixtures, Stellar is built to work in all scenarios. With a long list of feature additions already implemented and planned, Stellar is growing into a fully featured lighting control platform. Stellar is the “go-to” application for controlling fixtures as it seamlessly integrates functionality with great design making the task of adjusting lights effortless. Preview: https://youtu.be/JmGP9tzg-X8 Compatibility: Works with iPhones (5.5” and up) and iPads (9.7” and up), iOS 11 and up Art-Net Gateways: SkyLink, SkyPanel (FW 4.1 and up), ENTTEC, Luminex Stellar Unlimited: Test and work with all features of Stellar, it is free of charge for five fixture. Get unlimited access with a one-time payment. Privacy Policy: https://www.arri.com/en/privacy EULA: http://www.arri.com/corporate/about_arri/legal/end_user_license_agreement/ ©2022 Arnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG. All ARRI trademarks and copyrights used herein are the property of the ARRI. All rights reserved.

Screenshots

Stellar by ARRI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Blackout v2 (Legacy) at 76% against Stellar by ARRI's 31%. Blackout v2 (Legacy) also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Stellar by ARRI's advantage is ratings volume (41 vs 7) and device support (3 vs 1). 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. Blackout v2 (Legacy) sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Stellar by ARRI sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Blackout v2 (Legacy) holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stellar by ARRI has 41 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Blackout v2 (Legacy)'s written reviews are positive against 31% of Stellar by ARRI's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blackout v2 (Legacy) ships an update every 2 weeks, Stellar by ARRI every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Blackout v2 (Legacy) versus Stellar by ARRI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlackout v2 (Legacy)Stellar by ARRI
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (7 ratings) — better4.5 (41 ratings)
Positive reviews76.2% of reviews — better30.8% of reviews
Number of ratings741 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.013.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size359 MB84 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperBlackout Lighting Console Inc.ARRI Group

Customer experience

Blackout v2 (Legacy)

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive76.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative23.8%

Stellar by ARRI

All ratings41 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.2%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive30.8%
Neutral7.7%
Negative61.5%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Blackout v2 (Legacy)

One-time1
  • Basic Plan$799.99
3 purchases

Stellar by ARRI

Subscriptions2
  • Stellar Monthly Subscription14 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Stellar Yearly Subscription14 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Stellar Unlimited$99.99

Questions

Is Blackout v2 (Legacy) free?
Blackout v2 (Legacy) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stellar by ARRI free?
Stellar by ARRI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Blackout v2 (Legacy) or Stellar by ARRI?
Blackout v2 (Legacy) is rated higher. Blackout v2 (Legacy) averages 5.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Stellar by ARRI averages 4.5 from 41 ratings.
Do Blackout v2 (Legacy) or Stellar by ARRI have ads?
Neither Blackout v2 (Legacy) nor Stellar by ARRI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blackout v2 (Legacy) or Stellar by ARRI?
Blackout v2 (Legacy) ships an update every 2 weeks, and Stellar by ARRI every 6 weeks. Most recently, Blackout v2 (Legacy) was updated on November 11, 2026 and Stellar by ARRI on November 2, 2026.

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