# VLC Light Stream vs Pixel Dancer

The clearest difference is rating: Pixel Dancer at 3.9 against VLC Light Stream's 3.1. Pixel Dancer also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 40%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). VLC Light Stream's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Pixel Dancer holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pixel Dancer has 72 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of VLC Light Stream's written reviews are positive against 70% of Pixel Dancer's.

VLC Light Stream ships an update every 5 months, Pixel Dancer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | VLC Light Stream | Pixel Dancer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vlc-light-stream/id1436506833/reviews) | **[3.9 (72 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-dancer/id1539840886/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **72** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **70.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 33 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Village Lighting](https://appshunter.io/developer/1276283822) | [小艳 刘](https://appshunter.io/developer/1539326658) |

## What reviewers say

### VLC Light Stream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vlc-light-stream/id1436506833)

Control your holiday lights with custom color themes and patterns. This system allows you to use your existing Christmas light wires by simply swapping out the bulbs and pairing the components.

**Highlights:** Customizable bulb colors, Create color themes, Use with existing wires, Control holiday lighting, Indoor and outdoor use

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pixel Dancer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-dancer/id1539840886)

Control your RGB lighting for holidays, permanent installations, and landscapes. Schedule custom color changes and animations for events and holidays well in advance. Compatible with specific Wi-Fi Effects Controllers and light strings.

**Highlights:** Control RGB lighting, Schedule animations, Custom color changes, Event scheduling, Holiday lighting control, Landscape lighting control

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is VLC Light Stream free?

VLC Light Stream is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pixel Dancer free?

Pixel Dancer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, VLC Light Stream or Pixel Dancer?

Pixel Dancer is rated higher. VLC Light Stream averages 3.1 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Pixel Dancer averages 3.9 from 72 ratings.

### Do VLC Light Stream or Pixel Dancer have ads?

Neither VLC Light Stream nor Pixel Dancer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, VLC Light Stream or Pixel Dancer?

VLC Light Stream ships an update every 5 months, and Pixel Dancer every 2 months. Most recently, VLC Light Stream was updated on September 29, 2026 and Pixel Dancer on October 11, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*