# Gel Swatch Library vs Stagehand

The clearest difference is price: Stagehand at Free against Gel Swatch Library's $9.99. Stagehand also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Gel Swatch Library's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 44%) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Stagehand is free to download; Gel Swatch Library costs $9.99 up front. Gel Swatch Library sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Stagehand asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Gel Swatch Library against 4.6 for Stagehand. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 19 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Gel Swatch Library's written reviews are positive against 44% of Stagehand's.

Gel Swatch Library ships an update every 5 weeks, Stagehand every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gel Swatch Library | Stagehand |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gel-swatch-library/id285259613/reviews)** | [4.6 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stagehand/id493887739/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **19** |
| Positive reviews | **78.4% of reviews** | 44.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#117** | — |
| Size | 16 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Crossroads Motorsport, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1457608809) | [Patrick Angle](https://appshunter.io/developer/375504667) |

## What reviewers say

### Gel Swatch Library

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gel-swatch-library/id285259613)

**Currently charting:** #117 Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

This app allows lighting professionals to easily browse, search, and compare over 1,600 gel color filters from major manufacturers. It offers detailed spectral data, CMY/RGB percentages, DMX values, and a live camera preview feature for visualizing colors.

**Highlights:** Browse 1,600+ gel color filters, Search by name or number, Compare similar and complementary colors, View Spectral Energy Distribution graphs, See CMY/RGB percentages and DMX values, Live camera color preview, Preview colors over photos

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Visual Package | $2.99 | one-time |


### Stagehand

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stagehand/id493887739)

This app consolidates theatrical lighting gel swatch books from multiple manufacturers into a single, searchable digital reference. Easily find the perfect color by hue, name, number, or even by selecting a color from a wheel.

**Highlights:** Consolidated swatch books, Searchable by hue, name, number, Color wheel search, Manufacturer information, Neighboring color samples

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gel Swatch Library free?

Gel Swatch Library costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Stagehand free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Gel Swatch Library or Stagehand?

Gel Swatch Library is rated higher. Gel Swatch Library averages 4.6 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Stagehand averages 4.6 from 19 ratings.

### Do Gel Swatch Library or Stagehand have ads?

Neither Gel Swatch Library nor Stagehand shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gel Swatch Library or Stagehand?

Gel Swatch Library ships an update every 5 weeks, and Stagehand every 4 months. Most recently, Gel Swatch Library was updated on October 24, 2026 and Stagehand on October 23, 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.*