# Magic vs Swarm II

The clearest difference is rating: Swarm II at 4.7 against Magic's 2.3. Swarm II also leads on ratings volume (14K vs 819) and review sentiment (41% vs 30%). Magic's advantage is chart position (#174 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Swarm II holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Swarm II has 14K ratings behind it against 819, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Magic's written reviews are positive against 41% of Swarm II's.

Magic ships an update every 5 weeks, Swarm II every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magic | Swarm II |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.3 (819 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-lantern/id1479587050/reviews) | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swarm-ii/id6468891260/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 819 | **14K** |
| Positive reviews | 29.9% of reviews | **41.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#174** | — |
| Size | 80 MB | 121 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [shenzhen ELK Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1491353983) | [Turtle Beach, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/665391192) |

## What reviewers say

### Magic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-lantern/id1479587050)

**Currently charting:** #174 Top Free · Entertainment (US App Store)

Control your RGBIC LED strips with this app. Adjust brightness, colors, dynamic modes, and scenes. Sync lights to music, set timers, and customize pixel configurations for a personalized lighting experience.

**Highlights:** Color control, Dimming and grading, Dynamic modes and scenes, Music rhythm sync, Timer settings, Pixel and line sequence customization

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great product
- 👍 Lots of color options and effects
- 🎨 Decent app functionality
- 💡 Music sync feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connection issues
- 🔌 Unreliable remote and app control
- 🎨 Limited color customization
- 🤔 Confusing UI and settings
- 🔒 Security/privacy concerns

**Reported bugs**

- Colors not displaying correctly
- Lights not responding to app commands
- App crashing or not connecting
- Scheduled timers not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add holiday-themed color presets
- Allow custom color/pattern creation
- Improve music integration
- Add Siri/HomeKit support
- Provide better instructions and troubleshooting


### Swarm II

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swarm-ii/id6468891260)

Enhance your gaming audio experience with advanced customization. This app allows you to update headset firmware, fine-tune audio and microphone settings, and create personalized equalizers for superior sound.

**Highlights:** Firmware updates, Audio settings customization, Microphone settings customization, Custom EQ design, Premium audio quality enhancement

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast connection
- 💡 Highly customizable
- 🔊 Great sound quality
- 🎮 Perfect for gaming

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🔄 Mandatory updates
- 🔇 Mic problems
- 🔍 Confusing app interface
- 🔋 Unstable battery life

**Reported bugs**

- Firmware update issues
- Headset disconnects randomly
- Volume controls not working
- Microphone not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode support
- Numerical EQ settings
- Persistent settings
- Improved mic monitoring controls


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magic free?

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

### Is Swarm II free?

Swarm II is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Magic or Swarm II?

Swarm II is rated higher. Magic averages 2.3 out of 5 from 819 ratings, while Swarm II averages 4.7 from 14K ratings.

### Do Magic or Swarm II have ads?

Neither Magic nor Swarm II shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Magic or Swarm II?

Magic ships an update every 5 weeks, and Swarm II every 6 weeks. Most recently, Magic was updated on September 22, 2026 and Swarm II on September 24, 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.*