Stellar by ARRI vs Blackout Next (Legacy)
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
Blackout Next (Legacy)
This professional lighting console app offers an intuitive interface for controlling DMX, Art-Net, and sACN lighting systems. It features a vast cloud fixture database, custom fixture creation, and a robust multi-cuelist platform for organizing lighting looks.
- Cloud Fixture Database
- Custom Fixture Creation
- Intuitive Fixture Controls
- Multi-Cuelist Platform
- Dynamic Effects Engine
- MIDI Support
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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.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Blackout Next (Legacy) at 100% against Stellar by ARRI's 31%. Blackout Next (Legacy) also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). Stellar by ARRI's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.1 vs 18.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Stellar by ARRI sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Blackout Next (Legacy) sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Blackout Next (Legacy) holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 21 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of Stellar by ARRI's written reviews are positive against 100% of Blackout Next (Legacy)'s.
Stellar by ARRI ships an update every 6 weeks, Blackout Next (Legacy) fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Stellar by ARRI | Blackout Next (Legacy) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (41 ratings) | 5.0 (21 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 30.8% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 41 — better | 21 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.1 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 84 MB | 359 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ARRI Group | Blackout Lighting Console Inc. |
Customer experience
Stellar by ARRI
Blackout Next (Legacy)
In-app purchases
Stellar by ARRI
- Stellar Monthly Subscription14 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Stellar Yearly Subscription14 Days trial$99.991 Year
- Stellar Unlimited$99.99
Blackout Next (Legacy)
- Basic Plan$799.99
Questions
Is Stellar by ARRI free?
Is Blackout Next (Legacy) free?
Which has better reviews, Stellar by ARRI or Blackout Next (Legacy)?
Do Stellar by ARRI or Blackout Next (Legacy) have ads?
Which is updated more often, Stellar by ARRI or Blackout Next (Legacy)?
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