Comparison

RTctrl vs Shadow Planner

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

Head to head
About

RTctrl

Features
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The RTctrl Lighting Control App provides you professional control of your lighting fixtures. With its custom protocol based on Bluetooth the RTctrl App provides precise and lag free control of your compatible lights. Offering a wide range of light control modes with intuitive user interface optimized for quick settings you can control your lights using: - UltraWhite Light Mode - CCT Mode - Extended CCT Mode - HSI Mode - x,y coordinates Mode - RGB Mode - GELs - Effects The RTctrl App enables you to control individual lights or you can create custom groups. For advanced control you can create scenes & sequences of scenes with custom timings and fades from scene to scene for precise and repeatable lighting processes. Create Favorites and Custom Modes based on the Standard Modes for easy access of your most used lighting settings. Manage, store and recall all of your lighting Projects in the most simple way.

About

Shadow Planner

Visualize sun and shadow placement on real-world maps before filming. Scout locations by dropping virtual objects, simulating light movement throughout the day, and measuring distances for precise rigging. Export scenes for planning and collaboration.

Highlights
  • Real sun and shadow simulation on maps
  • 3D terrain and buildings for accurate shadows
  • Place and manipulate virtual frames and objects
  • Simulate light movement from sunrise to sunset
  • Measure distances and gear ranges
  • Export scenes and share links
Features
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Scout the light before you get there. Shadow Planner puts a real sun on a real map. Drop your overheads on the actual location, scrub the day from sunrise to sunset, and watch true cast shadows fall across the ground in 3D — so you know what you're walking into before the truck rolls, and so does everyone you hand the page to. SCOUT ANY LOCATION • Search an address or drop straight onto your GPS position • Satellite, street and dark map styles • Real 3D buildings and terrain, so shadows fall off the geometry that's actually there • Live sun compass with azimuth and altitude KNOW WHEN YOU LOSE THE LIGHT • Sunrise, solar noon, sunset, golden hour and civil dusk for any date and any location, with the day's length • Tap any spot for a shade timeline: when it holds direct sun and when it goes into shade, across the whole day • See the sun's path arced over the map — amber where your spot has sun, blue-grey where something blocks it, so you can watch the moment the sun clears a roofline • Reads the buildings and terrain actually around it, plus your own overheads BLOCK THE SHOT TO SCALE • Drop 12x12, 20x20 and 40x40 frames, or set your own custom size • Dial height above ground, spin and tilt on every frame • Add vehicles and human stand-ins for scale • Stack as many objects as the day needs — each one colour-coded, with its own cast shadow and the area it covers SEE THE WHOLE DAY MOVE • Scrub sunrise to sunset and watch every shadow track with the sun • Pick any date and check the light for a shoot weeks out • Stand-ins and vehicles dim when they fall inside a frame's shadow MEASURE THE RIG IN 3D • Tap two points for a true diagonal distance — overhead down to ground • Know exactly where the base, the truck and the crew gear have to land • Measurements stay locked to a frame, so they update as you raise or move it • Matching gear ranges for the distance you measured, from a PeeWee dolly to a 120' Condor FEET OR METRES • One switch converts every height, span, distance and shadow area, and the gear ranges with them • Gear and frame names stay as the industry says them — a 12x12 is still a 12x12, a Condor 40' is still a Condor 40' • Your choice is remembered between sessions TAKE IT BACK TO THE OFFICE • Save a location by name with its camera angle, date, time, every frame, the measurement and the shade you picked — long-press to rename • Six stops in a day, all still there tomorrow • Export a letter-size page carrying the location, date, time, sun position, sunrise and sunset, the rig you had up, and the lift sizes that reach — so the gaffer, the AD and the office are all reading the same sheet • Same page on every device, straight to Photos, Files or Messages • On iPad, drag the menu panels into the order you work in • Full undo and redo Built by a working cinematographer for tech scouts, gaffers, grips, DPs, location managers and anyone who has ever guessed where the shadow would be. No account. No subscription. No tracking.

Screenshots

RTctrl4 screens
Shadow Planner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RTctrl at Free against Shadow Planner's $29.99. RTctrl also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). Shadow Planner's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and chart position (#191 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

RTctrl is free to download; Shadow Planner costs $29.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RTctrl ships an update monthly, Shadow Planner every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
RTctrl versus Shadow Planner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRTctrlShadow Planner
PriceFree — better$29.99
Rating—4.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—40.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Paid
Best chart rank—#191 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHMO Europe B.V.Christopher Fenner

In-app purchases

None

RTctrl

No in-app purchases

None

Shadow Planner

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RTctrl free?
RTctrl is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shadow Planner free?
Shadow Planner costs $29.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do RTctrl or Shadow Planner have ads?
Neither RTctrl nor Shadow Planner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RTctrl or Shadow Planner?
RTctrl ships an update monthly, and Shadow Planner every 5 days. Most recently, RTctrl was updated on September 23, 2026 and Shadow Planner on September 16, 2026.

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