# Photon 2 vs Stage Manager

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Photon 2 | Stage Manager |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (72 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photon-2-dmx-light-controller/id1545017671/reviews)** | [2.1 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stage-manager/id6443847627/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **72** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **80.8% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 46 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Photon Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/449592177) | [Fuse Technical Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1649944973) |

## What reviewers say

### Photon 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photon-2-dmx-light-controller/id1545017671)

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.

**Highlights:** Wireless Art-Net/sACN DMX control, Philips Hue Entertainment integration, Customizable user interface, Scene and sequence creation, Beat synchronization to music, MIDI controller support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Photon+ Founder | $29.99 | per year |
| Photon+ | $59.99 | per year |
| Starter Plan | $44.99 | one-time |
| Pro Plan | $64.99 | one-time |
| Pro Plan | $79.99 | one-time |


### Stage Manager

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stage-manager/id6443847627)

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.

**Highlights:** Video equipment control, Macro creation and triggering, Colorful grid-view interface, Audit log for executed macros, Streamlined video system management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Photon 2 free?

Photon 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Stage Manager free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Photon 2 or Stage Manager?

Photon 2 is rated higher. Photon 2 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 72 ratings, while Stage Manager averages 2.1 from 7 ratings.

### Do Photon 2 or Stage Manager have ads?

Neither Photon 2 nor Stage Manager shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Photon 2 or Stage Manager?

Photon 2 ships an update every 5 weeks, and Stage Manager weekly. Most recently, Photon 2 was updated on October 5, 2026 and Stage Manager on October 11, 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.*