Photon 2 vs QSC SysNav™
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Photon 2
This app provides a professional lighting console for controlling DMX and Philips Hue devices wirelessly. It allows users to create custom interfaces, manage lights, and synchronize effects to music for live events, performances, and filmmaking.
- Wireless Art-Net/sACN DMX control
- Philips Hue Entertainment integration
- Customizable user interface
- Scene and sequence creation
- Beat synchronization to music
- MIDI controller support
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Let's create your show with Photon 2. The next generation of professional DMX & Philips Hue lighting console has been rebuilt from the ground up for a better live experience. User-friendly and customizable, Photon 2 is perfect for musicians, nightclubs, live events, filmmakers, theater, stages… ◈ Wireless (Art-Net or sACN through WIFI) and ready to use, Photon reinvents the way to control DMX devices & Philips Hue*** with its single interface for all your lights. ◈ Create presets, combine them in sequences and synchronize your lights to music. Our beat tracker listens and animates your devices to the music rhythm. Live events will have no more secret for you. ◈ Want to turn your iPad into a real elegant personalized lighting control platform? The app features ground-breaking concepts that let you create your own user interface designed to make tasks practical and more intuitive. Connect external MIDI controllers like keyboards, pads, timecoders or others apps/softwares to control your fixtures. FEATURES (FREE VERSION) - 16 DMX channels - Multi-touch interface designed and optimized for iPad - Light group management. Link multiple lights together to perform the same action (colors, positions, brightness...) - Supports advanced controls (gobos/fog machine, focus) - Scene management: create presets, animate them in sequences - Create your dashboard and organize it as you wish - Art-Net/sACN/DMX channel monitor - Art-Net/sACN in multicast or unicast - Philips Hue Entertainment connection*** - Database with hundreds of pre-configured devices (fixtures) - Fixture creator to configure your devices STARTER (ONE-TIME PURCHASE) - 128 DMX channels - Create as many buttons (widgets) on your dashboard as you want - Enjoy the power of automatic BeatTracker and sync your lights to live music - Ableton Link support: sync your lights with your favorite DJ app or musical instruments - Background operation mode (Live Mode) PHOTON+ (SUBSCRIPTION) Everything in Starter included, plus: - 512 DMX channels (full universe) - Multi-Dashboard: create multiple dashboards to organize your widgets by lighting type, zone, or function. Swipe between them instantly during live performance - MIDI inputs: control dashboard buttons/faders with physical MIDI controllers (pads) or virtual ones (apps) - All next features on going * Requires an Art-Net to DMX bridge. Photon relies on Open Lighting Architecture (Open Lighting Project). *** Philips Hue Entertainment requires a Hue v2 or Pro bridge.
QSC SysNav™
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QSC SysNav™ (System Navigator) App QSC SysNav™ is a application intended to be used with QSC next-generation, intelligent, L Class compatible loudspeaker systems. The software allows the user to easily design, configure, control, monitor and apply signal processing to individual loudspeakers or full arrays, providing a rich, detailed and intuitive control and monitoring environment, from pre-deployment loudspeakers’ parameter setup to post-show review of equipment operation logs. Easy System Configuration SysNav allows the user to design, configure, name, group and apply signal processing to individual loudspeakers and loudspeaker arrays. The easy-to-use App uses a virtual catalog of devices or online control of network-discovered QSC loudspeakers. Detailed Control and Monitoring SysNav lets the user monitor the audio system from an information-rich ‘List View’ of all loudspeakers. A simple touch on a device name will display every parameter that can be adjusted. Errors and lost connections are clearly announced and can be analyzed via post-show equipment operation logs. QSC AWARE™ communication with SysNav QSC AWARE (Automatic Wireless Array Recognition) technology uses active loudspeakers' internal accelerometers and infra-red communication links to determine the status, position and angle of each loudspeaker in the array, as well as the total number, global tilt and coverage of the entire array. The information acquired by AWARE is communicated via the network to the SysNav App, allowing the operator to apply the correct Ar-Q™ Array Equalization by a single click, in order to achieve optimum performance. Compatible L Class Models This release of QSC SysNav is compatible with the loudspeakers listed below. It includes the latest firmware versions for the listed models, alerts the user if any connected devices are running older versions and allows the user to initiate updates. - LA108 Active line array loudspeaker - firmware version 1.2.0099 - LA112 Active line array loudspeaker - firmware version 1.2.0099 - LS118 Active subwoofer - firmware version 1.0.0020
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: QSC SysNav™ at none against Photon 2's 5. Photon 2's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Photon 2 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per year. QSC SysNav™ asks for nothing beyond the download.
Photon 2 ships an update every 5 weeks, QSC SysNav™ every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Photon 2 | QSC SysNav™ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (72 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 72 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Photon Studio | QSC Audio Products, LLC. |
In-app purchases
Photon 2
- Photon+ Founder$29.991 Year
- Photon+$59.991 Year
- Starter Plan$44.99
- Pro Plan$64.99
- Pro Plan$79.99
QSC SysNav™
No in-app purchases









