# Banner Basic vs Neon

Banner Basic and Neon both sit at 3.2 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Neon's written reviews are positive against 56% of Banner Basic's. Neon also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 7 months). Banner Basic's advantage is ratings volume (25 vs 3). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.2 for Banner Basic against 3.3 for Neon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Banner Basic has 25 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 56% of Banner Basic's written reviews are positive against 100% of Neon's.

Banner Basic ships an update every 7 months, Neon every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Banner Basic | Neon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.2 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/banner-basic/id285522567/reviews) | **[3.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neon-simple-neon-sign/id1206771129/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **25** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 56.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 6 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Masayuki Akamatsu](https://appshunter.io/developer/284722836) | [Hyun-Woo Kim](https://appshunter.io/developer/836632245) |

## What reviewers say

### Banner Basic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/banner-basic/id285522567)

Create custom LED-matrix-style messages and display them on your device. Show text, symbols, dates, times, tweets, and music information with various customization options for speed, appearance, and display settings.

**Highlights:** Customizable LED-matrix display, Show user-defined messages, Display date and time, Show tweet feeds, Display music information, Adjustable scroll and blink speeds, Customizable LED appearance (size, shape, color)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🤩 Fun and creative
- 🙌 Useful for communicating across a room
- 😊 Great for quick messages

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- ⏱️ Slow scrolling speed
- 🎨 Limited customization options
- 💤 Drains battery quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch
- Distorted text display
- Incompatibility with iOS updates

**Requested features**

- Speed control for scrolling
- Color and font customization
- Ability to save/recall preset messages
- Orientation and display options
- Improved performance and stability


### Neon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neon-simple-neon-sign/id1206771129)

Create custom neon signs with a simple interface. Design unique text-based neon art for your device. Personalize your creations with ease.

**Highlights:** Create custom neon signs, Simple operation, Text-based neon art, Lightweight design

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Banner Basic free?

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

### Is Neon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Banner Basic or Neon?

Neon is rated higher. Banner Basic averages 3.2 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Neon averages 3.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do Banner Basic or Neon have ads?

Banner Basic shows ads; Neon does not.

### Which is updated more often, Banner Basic or Neon?

Banner Basic ships an update every 7 months, and Neon every 2 weeks. Most recently, Banner Basic was updated on September 27, 2026 and Neon on September 19, 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.*