Comparison

Stellar by ARRI vs Pencilled

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

Pencilled

Features
Read full description

Production freelancing gets messy quickly. A job starts as a pencil. Dates move. Another producer asks for the same day. Call sheets arrive. Travel changes. Then once you've wrapped, there's mileage, kit, invoices and payment to keep track of. Pencilled is a booking manager built for freelance production crew working across film, television, commercials, branded content, corporate and online production. From first pencil to final payment, keep the whole job together. MANAGE PENCILS & BOOKINGS Keep track of pencilled, confirmed and completed jobs without losing sight of clashes or changing dates. See the information that matters at a glance — client, project, producer, dates, fee, call time, wrap time and more. KNOW WHEN YOU'RE FREE See your work and availability in one clear calendar. Block personal dates, spot clashes and share your live availability with producers without endless messages back and forth. KEEP EVERY JOB TOGETHER Keep contacts, locations, call sheets, documents, notes and production details attached to the booking they belong to. No more hunting through emails the night before a shoot trying to find the latest information. READY FOR SHOOT DAY Keep call times, wrap times, locations, documents and weather close at hand. Plan your route, add pickups and travel, calculate mileage and keep shoot-day information where you actually need it. EMAIL, WITHOUT LOSING THE JOB Connect your email and keep booking conversations close to your projects. Turn the information you receive into something useful without copying everything between different apps. FROM WRAP TO INVOICE Once the job is complete, move straight into invoicing. Keep track of fees, kit, expenses and mileage, create invoices and see what's been sent, viewed or paid. BUILT FOR PRODUCTION CREW Pencilled isn't generic project-management software with a production label stuck on it. It's designed around the way freelance crew are actually booked and work — pencils, changing dates, call sheets, travel, kit, wrap and getting paid. Spend less time managing the job. Spend more time doing it. From first pencil to final payment. Keep it Pencilled. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.pencilledapp.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Stellar by ARRI4 screens
Pencilled3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pencilled at every 3 days against Stellar by ARRI's every 6 weeks. Stellar by ARRI's advantage is iOS requirement (13.1 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 Pencilled sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stellar by ARRI ships an update every 6 weeks, Pencilled every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Stellar by ARRI versus Pencilled: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStellar by ARRIPencilled
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (41 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews30.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings41 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB34 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperARRI GroupAidan Metcalfe

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
2 purchases

Pencilled

Subscriptions2
  • Pencilled Pro Monthly Subscription1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Pencilled Pro - 1 Year1 Month trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Stellar by ARRI free?
Stellar by ARRI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pencilled free?
Pencilled is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Stellar by ARRI or Pencilled have ads?
Neither Stellar by ARRI nor Pencilled shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stellar by ARRI or Pencilled?
Stellar by ARRI ships an update every 6 weeks, and Pencilled every 3 days. Most recently, Stellar by ARRI was updated on November 2, 2026 and Pencilled on October 31, 2026.

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