Comparison

Stellar by ARRI vs Photon 2

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

Head to head
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.

About

Photon 2

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
Read full description

Let's create your show with Photon 2. The next generation of professional DMX & Philips Hue lighting console has been rebuilt from the ground up for a better live experience. User-friendly and customizable, Photon 2 is perfect for musicians, nightclubs, live events, filmmakers, theater, stages… ◈ Wireless (Art-Net or sACN through WIFI) and ready to use, Photon reinvents the way to control DMX devices & Philips Hue*** with its single interface for all your lights. ◈ Create presets, combine them in sequences and synchronize your lights to music. Our beat tracker listens and animates your devices to the music rhythm. Live events will have no more secret for you. ◈ Want to turn your iPad into a real elegant personalized lighting control platform? The app features ground-breaking concepts that let you create your own user interface designed to make tasks practical and more intuitive. Connect external MIDI controllers like keyboards, pads, timecoders or others apps/softwares to control your fixtures. FEATURES (FREE VERSION) - 16 DMX channels - Multi-touch interface designed and optimized for iPad - Light group management. Link multiple lights together to perform the same action (colors, positions, brightness...) - Supports advanced controls (gobos/fog machine, focus) - Scene management: create presets, animate them in sequences - Create your dashboard and organize it as you wish - Art-Net/sACN/DMX channel monitor - Art-Net/sACN in multicast or unicast - Philips Hue Entertainment connection*** - Database with hundreds of pre-configured devices (fixtures) - Fixture creator to configure your devices STARTER (ONE-TIME PURCHASE) - 128 DMX channels - Create as many buttons (widgets) on your dashboard as you want - Enjoy the power of automatic BeatTracker and sync your lights to live music - Ableton Link support: sync your lights with your favorite DJ app or musical instruments - Background operation mode (Live Mode) PHOTON+ (SUBSCRIPTION) Everything in Starter included, plus: - 512 DMX channels (full universe) - Multi-Dashboard: create multiple dashboards to organize your widgets by lighting type, zone, or function. Swipe between them instantly during live performance - MIDI inputs: control dashboard buttons/faders with physical MIDI controllers (pads) or virtual ones (apps) - All next features on going * Requires an Art-Net to DMX bridge. Photon relies on Open Lighting Architecture (Open Lighting Project). *** Philips Hue Entertainment requires a Hue v2 or Pro bridge.

Screenshots

Stellar by ARRI4 screens

Verdict

The call

Stellar by ARRI and Photon 2 both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 81% of Photon 2's written reviews are positive against 31% of Stellar by ARRI's. Stellar by ARRI's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.1 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Stellar by ARRI sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Stellar by ARRI against 4.5 for Photon 2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 72 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 31% of Stellar by ARRI's written reviews are positive against 81% of Photon 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stellar by ARRI ships an update every 6 weeks, Photon 2 every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 31, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Stellar by ARRI versus Photon 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStellar by ARRIPhoton 2
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (41 ratings) — better4.5 (72 ratings)
Positive reviews30.8% of reviews80.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4172 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS13.1 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB46 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperARRI GroupPhoton Studio

Customer experience

Stellar by ARRI

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

Photon 2

All ratings66 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral1.5%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive80.8%
Neutral3.8%
Negative15.4%

In-app purchases

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
5 purchases

Photon 2

Subscriptions2
  • Photon+ Founder$29.991 Year
  • Photon+$59.991 Year
One-time3
  • Starter Plan$44.99
  • Pro Plan$64.99
  • Pro Plan$79.99

Questions

Is Stellar by ARRI free?
Stellar by ARRI 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, Stellar by ARRI or Photon 2?
Stellar by ARRI is rated higher. Stellar by ARRI averages 4.5 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while Photon 2 averages 4.5 from 72 ratings.
Do Stellar by ARRI or Photon 2 have ads?
Neither Stellar by ARRI nor Photon 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stellar by ARRI or Photon 2?
Stellar by ARRI ships an update every 6 weeks, and Photon 2 every 5 weeks. Most recently, Stellar by ARRI was updated on August 31, 2026 and Photon 2 on September 17, 2026.

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