Comparison

Sidus Link Pro vs ReelCost

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

ReelCost

This app helps independent film producers and teams meticulously plan budgets, track daily expenditures, and generate production-ready reports. It offers AI-assisted script analysis for treatments and scene breakdowns, with multi-language support and cross-device synchronization.

Highlights
  • Detailed production budget building
  • Expense and receipt tracking
  • Budget vs. actual spending analysis
  • AI-assisted script analysis
  • Multiple export formats
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Multi-language support
Read full description

ReelCost gives independent producers and production teams one place to plan a budget, monitor daily spending, and prepare production-ready reports. • Build detailed production budgets with standard film-account structure. • Track expenses, receipts, personnel schedules, extras, and daily totals. • Compare initial funding, current working budget, actual spending, and estimated cost to complete. • Analyze scripts and create editable treatments and scene breakdowns with AI assistance. • Export spreadsheets, printable budget reports, treatment PDFs, scene-breakdown PDFs, and beta Movie Magic-compatible interchange files. • Keep projects synchronized across supported devices. • Work in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Swahili, or Afrikaans. AI output is a planning aid, not a quote, legal determination, union ruling, or substitute for production professionals. Review all generated material before relying on it. App Store Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

ReelCost4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ReelCost at 5.0 against Sidus Link Pro's 2.7. ReelCost also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and device support (3 vs 1). Sidus Link Pro's advantage is ratings volume (30 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and ReelCost sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $19.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ReelCost 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sidus Link Pro ships an update monthly, ReelCost weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Sidus Link Pro versus ReelCost: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSidus Link ProReelCost
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.7 (30 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings30 — better2
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size584 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSidus Link Ltd.Solerta, LLC

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
7 purchases

ReelCost

Subscriptions4
  • Producer Monthly7 Days trial$19.001 Month
  • Production Pro$49.001 Month
  • Producer Annual$190.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • Production Pro Annual$490.001 Year
One-time3
  • 5 AI Credits$15.00
  • 15 AI Credits$39.00
  • 90-Day Project Pass$49.00

Questions

Is Sidus Link Pro free?
Sidus Link Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ReelCost free?
ReelCost is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sidus Link Pro or ReelCost?
ReelCost is rated higher. Sidus Link Pro averages 2.7 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while ReelCost averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Sidus Link Pro or ReelCost have ads?
Neither Sidus Link Pro nor ReelCost shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sidus Link Pro or ReelCost?
Sidus Link Pro ships an update monthly, and ReelCost weekly. Most recently, Sidus Link Pro was updated on November 5, 2026 and ReelCost on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons