Photon 2 vs Stage Manager
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
Read full descriptionHide full description
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.
Stage Manager
This app provides engineers with comprehensive control over video routing, processing, and control equipment via an Apple device. It allows for the creation and triggering of macros through a visual grid interface, simplifying complex operations. An audit log tracks executed macros for easy troubleshooting.
- Video equipment control
- Macro creation and triggering
- Colorful grid-view interface
- Audit log for executed macros
- Streamlined video system management
Read full descriptionHide full description
Introducing our new app designed specifically for engineers who work with video routing, processing, and control equipment! Our powerful app puts you in complete control of your video equipment, right from your Apple device. With our app, you can create macros that can be easily triggered in a colorful grid-view interface. This makes it easy to perform complex video equipment operations with just a few taps on your iPhone or iPad. Our app's audit log feature also allows you to keep track of all macros previously executed, making it easy to track changes and troubleshoot any issues that may arise. Designed with the needs of engineers in mind, our app makes it easy to manage even the most complex video systems with minimal effort. Whether you're working in a production facility, broadcast studio, or live event setting, our app gives you the tools you need to get the job done quickly and efficiently. So if you're an engineer looking to streamline your video equipment management, look no further than our app. Download it now from the Apple App Store and experience the ultimate in video equipment control and management.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Photon 2 at 81% against Stage Manager's 0%. Photon 2 also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.1) and ratings volume (72 vs 7). Stage Manager's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). On price and ads 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. Stage Manager asks for nothing beyond the download.
Photon 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Photon 2 has 72 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Photon 2's written reviews are positive against 0% of Stage Manager's.
Photon 2 ships an update every 5 weeks, Stage Manager weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Photon 2 | Stage Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (72 ratings) — better | 2.1 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.8% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 72 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Photon Studio | Fuse Technical Group, LLC |
Customer experience
Photon 2
Stage Manager
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
Stage Manager
No in-app purchases









