Comparison

Sidus Link Pro vs Shade Mobile

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

Head to head
About

Sidus Link Pro

This powerful lighting control app transforms your iPad into a professional console. Wirelessly manage DMX and CRMX-enabled lights, automate setup, and design complex lighting sequences with ease. Achieve precise, real-time control for any production.

Highlights
  • Wireless DMX and CRMX control
  • Console-style lighting control on iPad
  • Visual Layout View for fixture arrangement
  • Lightning-fast auto-patching and configuration
  • Real-time cueing for DMX lights
  • Design and manage lighting shows and effects
  • Centralized control for multiple fixture manufacturers
Features
Read full description

Sidus Link Pro is a powerful lighting control workstation that runs on your iPad and Mac. Control Aputure lights wirelessly with Sidus Bluetooth and cue any DMX or CRMX-enabled light through sACN and Art-Net using the intuitive Sidus Link interface. Console-style lighting control has never been easier. ENAHANCED PIXEL TOOLS When selecting multi-pixel fixtures, inside the Pixel Window, there are tools for applying gradients across the fixtures, and easy selection tools for first half, second half, odd, even and invert. ACTION PANEL Turn your cues and Quickshots into big, simple “Go” buttons for fast, confident execution. With an optional passcode lock, Action Panel makes it easy to hand control to a client, operator, or venue team. MAC SUPPORT Plan, design, and refine your lighting setup on Mac with more screen space and keyboard-and-mouse precision. EASY, POWERFUL CONSOLE-STYLE CONTROL Sidus Link Pro brings the power of a modern lighting console to your iPad and Mac without the complexity, menu diving, or manual reading. Speed is everything on set. Sidus Link Pro is built to be speedy. All of your most used functions are accessible with just a few taps. DESIGN DAZZLING SHOWS AND EFFECTS WITH REAL-TIME CUEING. Send crisp, responsive cues to your DMX-enabled fixtures at the same time, with no Bluetooth delay. Create rich, synchronized lighting changes and organize them into cue stacks with precise timing, transitions, and loops. Drag and drop to reorder with the Cue Sequence Editor. CONTROL ANY CRMX-ENABLED LIGHT Sidus Link Pro speaks DMX and wireless CRMX, the control protocol that all lights use. Centralize control of your lighting network in Sidus Link Pro, no matter the fixture manufacturer. THE CENTER OF YOUR LIGHTING ECOSYSTEM Sidus Link Pro interfaces with hardware to control fixtures with wired DMX or wireless CRMX capability. Use with any transmitter, node, or router, or partner with Sidus Hardware to unlock powerful monitoring and setup functions. Sidus Link Pro transmits lighting control protocols sACN and Art-Net. SAVE DAYS WITH 3D VISUALIZER Plan your setup in a virtual environment. Create spaces, place lights, design looks, and explore ideas before touching physical fixtures. Since 3D Visualizer is built into your control workflow, cues and DMX settings move seamlessly from planning to execution. SAVE HOURS WITH LIGHTNING FAST AUTO-PATCHING AND AUTO-CONFIGURATION Skip the setup grind. Sidus Link Pro detects your Aputure lights and reduces your setup by up to hundreds of steps. Easily update fixture settings and DMX profiles from your iPad and Mac. SAVE MINUTES WITH LAYOUT VIEW Arrange fixtures in a visual grid to match your physical set. Layout View gives you a faster, more intuitive way to organize fixtures, select the right light, and preview lighting changes in real time. STABLE, LONG-RANGE CONTROL With DMX and CRMX workflows, Sidus Link Pro maintains reliable control. When used with Aputure fixtures and Sidus Hardware, gain additional range and real-time health alerts. FREE BLUETOOTH CONTROL AND FILMMAKING TOOLS The Free plan includes Bluetooth control for Aputure and amaran lights, plus access to our full library of Light Modes, FX, Quickshots, Magic Program Pro and Go, Magic Infinity FX, and Diagram Master. OTHER FEATURES • Dial in tone with color selection methods like CCT, HSI, CCT RGB, xy, and HSIC+ • Set DMX parameters like Intensity, +/- Green, Hue, Saturation, and Variable Crossfade • Access DMX profiles, import GDTF profiles, and create your own profiles • Preview changes before taking them live with the Backstage workspace • Streamline Bluetooth control with Sidus BT View • Save and recall presets for Aputure lights with Sidus BT Quickshots • Auto-Configure, monitor, and update Aputure light firmware in the Fixture Manager • Create lighting plots and sync with your team with Diagram Master • Reference Illumination Handbook to compare fixtures and calculate output

About

Shade Mobile

Access and manage your team's media files from anywhere. Browse full-resolution footage, leave frame-accurate notes, and search your entire library on the go. Upload new files and share them securely with collaborators.

Highlights
  • Browse full-resolution media
  • Leave frame-accurate comments
  • Search entire media library
  • View transcripts and metadata
  • Upload and capture media
  • Securely share files
Features
Read full description

Media storage that just works better, now in your pocket. Shade is the system of record for your team's media. The mobile app puts the whole workspace in your hand, so you can browse full-res footage, review cuts, and leave frame-accurate notes between meetings or on set. Scroll, scrub, zoom, and comment with the same precision you get at your desk. No downloads, no manual syncing. VIEW ASSETS ANYWHERE --- Open a file and everything about it is right there. Comments, transcript, color palette, camera metadata, and the shots that look like it, without bouncing between your phone and your desk to track down one detail. SEARCH YOUR WORKSPACE --- Search by name across every drive and shared folder. Files, folders, and collections come back grouped, so you tap straight to what you came for. BROWSE YOUR WHOLE LIBRARY --- Your drives, folders, collections, and shared work, a tap away. Switch between grid and list, resize cards, jump back into recent work, or dig through Trash. PREVIEW FULL-RES MEDIA --- Full-resolution images you can pinch to zoom into. Video with variable-speed playback, a precision scrubber, and full screen. Audio and documents open inline, no waiting on a download. VIEW TRANSCRIPTS --- Read the full transcript for any video or audio, with speaker labels and timestamps, right next to the media. METADATA THAT TAGS ITSELF --- Every file shows up already understood. Color palette, camera metadata, and custom fields are filled in for you, so you don't have to tag anything by hand. FRAME-ACCURATE FEEDBACK --- Leave comments pinned to the exact frame. Draw on images, reply in threads, drop in a mention or an emoji, and mark threads resolved when the work is done. CAPTURE AND UPLOAD --- Upload from your camera roll, grab a document from Files, or shoot a new photo straight into a drive. Watch each file's progress, and get a notification the second it lands. SHARE WITH ANYONE --- Send a public link with an Editor, Reviewer, or Client preset. Lock it with a password, set it to expire, and keep internal permissions exactly where you want them. STAY IN THE LOOP --- The inbox pulls together new comments, mentions, and activity on your work, so nothing gets past you while you are out. BUILT TO PROTECT YOUR WORK --- Shade is built to protect creative IP, with compliance-backed security for every team. Your data stays 100% yours, and it is never used for training. Stop waiting. Start creating.

Screenshots

Shade Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Shade Mobile at 5.0 against Sidus Link Pro's 2.7. Shade Mobile also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and device support (3 vs 1). Sidus Link Pro's advantage is ratings volume (30 vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sidus Link Pro sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Shade Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shade Mobile holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sidus Link Pro has 30 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Sidus Link Pro versus Shade Mobile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSidus Link ProShade Mobile
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.7 (30 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings30 — better4
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size584 MB135 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSidus Link Ltd.Shade, Incorporated.

Customer experience

Sidus Link Pro

All ratings30 ratings
Positive40.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative53.3%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive22.2%
Neutral11.1%
Negative66.7%

Shade Mobile

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Sidus Link Pro

Subscriptions4
  • Pro (Monthly)$9.991 Month
  • Max (Monthly)$19.991 Month
  • Pro (Annual)$99.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Max (Annual)$199.991 Year
None

Shade Mobile

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sidus Link Pro free?
Sidus Link Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shade Mobile free?
Shade Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sidus Link Pro or Shade Mobile?
Shade Mobile is rated higher. Sidus Link Pro averages 2.7 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while Shade Mobile averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Sidus Link Pro or Shade Mobile have ads?
Neither Sidus Link Pro nor Shade Mobile shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sidus Link Pro or Shade Mobile?
Sidus Link Pro ships an update monthly, and Shade Mobile monthly. Most recently, Sidus Link Pro was updated on October 13, 2026 and Shade Mobile on October 12, 2026.

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