Comparison

Magic vs Build

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

Head to head
About

Magic

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
Read full description

MagicLantern is an App that can be used to control color RGBIC LED strip(s). You can use it to do some controls and settings , such as dimming and grading, setting various dynamic modes and scenes, music rhythms of several sound sources and optional rhythm styles, timer setting for lights on/off, pixel setting, line sequence setting, etc. MagicLantern App is designed to be fun and easy to use, with a certain degree of professionalism and ease of use.

About

Build

Create and join friendly competitions with friends using virtual points. Track outcomes, climb leaderboards, and compete on anything from sports to personal goals without real-money wagering.

Highlights
  • Create custom prediction groups
  • Track sports, habits, and personal goals
  • Live leaderboards and performance insights
  • Virtual points, no real-money wagering
  • Flexible scoring and competition formats
  • Invite friends and track progress together
Features
Read full description

Build-A-Bookie is where your crew keeps score and makes it fun with friendly bets. Spin up a book for golf, bowling, pickup basketball, a league season, or a custom challenge with friends. Post picks tied to real stats, enter scores, and watch bets settle automatically. Virtual stakes, real bragging rights. No real money, ever. PERFECT FOR • Golf foursomes and side games • Bowling league nights • Pickup teams and rec leagues • Custom group challenges • Solo goals when you want to bet on yourself HOW IT WORKS 1. Start a book: invite your crew in one tap 2. Post bets on the next event: everyone picks a side 3. Enter scores: stats update, bets grade, standings move EVERY BOOK HAS THREE SURFACES • Clubhouse: what’s next, who’s leading, open bets • Live: the current event, schedule, and action • Log: history, money flow, and your crew’s record STATS THAT STICK Every bet ties to a score in your permanent record. Track performance over time, climb live leaderboards, and build a Star profile that follows you across books — wins, losses, streaks, and the stats you actually care about. BUILT FOR FRIENDS, NOT STRANGERS Private books with the people you play with. No sportsbook. No strangers. No deposits or cashouts; just competition, leaderboards, and talk-you-smack-in-the-group-chat energy. ENTERTAINMENT ONLY Build-A-Bookie uses virtual money for fun. No real-money wagering, no prizes, no withdrawals. Terms of Use: https://www.build-a-bookie.com/terms

Screenshots

Magic4 screens
Build4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Build at 100% against Magic's 30%. Build also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.3) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 weeks). Magic's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (852 vs 6). On price, ads 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. Build sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Magic asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Build holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic has 852 ratings behind it against 6, 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 100% of Build's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Magic ships an update every 5 weeks, Build every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Magic versus Build: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagicBuild
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (852 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews29.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings852 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank#181 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB162 MB
Age rating4+17+
Developershenzhen ELK Technology Co., Ltd.Durham App Designs LLC

Customer experience

Magic

All ratings819 ratings
Positive26.1%
Neutral9.4%
Negative64.5%
Written reviews477 reviews
Positive29.8%
Neutral13.4%
Negative56.8%

Build

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Magic

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Build

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Magic

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Build

Subscriptions2
  • Team Builder$4.991 Month
  • League Builder$19.991 Month

Questions

Is Magic free?
Magic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Build free?
Build is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Magic or Build?
Build is rated higher. Magic averages 2.3 out of 5 from 852 ratings, while Build averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Magic or Build have ads?
Neither Magic nor Build shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Magic or Build?
Magic ships an update every 5 weeks, and Build every 5 days. Most recently, Magic was updated on November 3, 2026 and Build on October 19, 2026.

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