# Blackout Lighting Console vs Photon 2

The clearest difference is rating: Blackout Lighting Console at 5.0 against Photon 2's 4.5. Photon 2's advantage is ratings volume (72 vs 5) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Blackout Lighting Console sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Photon 2 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Blackout Lighting Console holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Photon 2 has 72 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Blackout Lighting Console's written reviews are positive against 81% of Photon 2's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Blackout Lighting Console ships an update monthly, Photon 2 every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 5, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Blackout Lighting Console | Photon 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackout-lighting-console/id1414562959/reviews)** | [4.5 (72 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photon-2-dmx-light-controller/id1545017671/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **72** |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | **80.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 398 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blackout Lighting Console Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896466673) | [Photon Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/449592177) |

## What reviewers say

### Blackout Lighting Console

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackout-lighting-console/id1414562959)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Plan | $799.99 | one-time |


### Photon 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photon-2-dmx-light-controller/id1545017671)

This app provides a professional lighting console for controlling DMX and Philips Hue devices wirelessly. It allows users to create custom interfaces, manage lights, and synchronize effects to music for live events, performances, and filmmaking.

**Highlights:** Wireless Art-Net/sACN DMX control, Philips Hue Entertainment integration, Customizable user interface, Scene and sequence creation, Beat synchronization to music, MIDI controller support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Photon+ Founder | $29.99 | per year |
| Photon+ | $59.99 | per year |
| Starter Plan | $44.99 | one-time |
| Pro Plan | $64.99 | one-time |
| Pro Plan | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Blackout Lighting Console free?

Blackout Lighting Console is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Photon 2 free?

Photon 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Blackout Lighting Console or Photon 2?

Blackout Lighting Console is rated higher. Blackout Lighting Console averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Photon 2 averages 4.5 from 72 ratings.

### Do Blackout Lighting Console or Photon 2 have ads?

Neither Blackout Lighting Console nor Photon 2 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Blackout Lighting Console or Photon 2?

Blackout Lighting Console ships an update monthly, and Photon 2 every 5 weeks. Most recently, Blackout Lighting Console was updated on July 5, 2026 and Photon 2 on September 17, 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.*