Light Widow vs AsteraNext
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Light Widow
This application enables connection to specific hardware products for programming filters and customizing their appearance. It offers a streamlined interface for managing the look and feel of supported devices.
- Connect to FRS-Light, CineTag, ARRI LMB4x5
- Program filters
- Customize product look and feel
- Streamlined interface
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The Light Widow app allows you connect to a Light Widow product such as an FRS-Light, CineTag, or ARRI LMB4x5 Upgrade Kit. This app allows you to program filters and customize the look and feel of the product.
AsteraNext
Control complex lighting setups with intuitive tools for creating custom programs and effects. Manage DMX addresses, diagnose and update fixtures, and ensure seamless runtime for your productions.
- Intuitive lighting control
- Customizable programs and effects
- DMX address and footprint setup
- Fixture diagnosis and updates
- Layer effects for pixel control
- Scheduled standby mode
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The AsteraNext offers intuitive and fast control of complex lighting setups of current and upcoming Astera products. It provides fully customizable programs and effects and also it is designed to work seamlessly with other control methods. It can set up DMX addresses and footprints for CRMX control. In addition, lamps can be diagnosed, updated or reset from the AsteraNext. Here are some of the features: Layer Effects It is now easier than ever to control pixels of your Astera lights and create complex effects. CRMX Support That would make it much easier for customers to understand how the DMX works, also easier to operate the CRMX module. Talkback+ Detect all available lights, set them up, check their status, configure DMX addresses and DMX profiles. Seamless Runtime Set the length of your production and be sure that your lights won`t run out while still getting the maximum brightness. Effects Quickly build programs out of colors and effects, trigger them or make them match a beat. Targets Quickly create groups of lights, assign positions and select which lights should receive commands. Scheduled StandBy Switch lights into power-saving standby and schedule them to wake up when the production starts. Dynamic PowerBoost This exclusive feature makes the light able to display the maximum brightness at all time and intensify non-white colors. Green/Magenta Correction Adjust green/magenta during content creation to reduce postproduction work. Emergency Lights Switches to white light when AC power is cut to keep your event save DJ Feature Auto BPM analyzes the beat and matches programs to it, flash buttons can trigger special effects while being held down. Other Features The AsteraNext is packed with many additional items and new features are frequently added via software update.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Light Widow at 4.7 against AsteraNext's 2.3. AsteraNext's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Light Widow holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 8 respectively.
Light Widow ships an update every 2 months, AsteraNext every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and August 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Light Widow | AsteraNext |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (3 ratings) — better | 2.3 (8 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 8 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.7 | 14.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 166 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Light Widow LLC | Astera LED Technology GmbH |
Customer experience
Light Widow
AsteraNext
In-app purchases
Light Widow
No in-app purchases
AsteraNext
No in-app purchases









