# Banner Basic vs Magic Display

The clearest difference is ads: Magic Display at none against Banner Basic's shown. Magic Display also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 7 months) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Banner Basic's advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 34%) and rating (3.2 vs 2.9). On price, 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.

Banner Basic holds the better App Store score, 3.2 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic Display has 159 ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Banner Basic's written reviews are positive against 34% of Magic Display's.

Banner Basic ships an update every 7 months, Magic Display every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and August 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Banner Basic | Magic Display |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.2 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/banner-basic/id285522567/reviews)** | [2.9 (159 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-display/id1395780650/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 25 | **159** |
| Positive reviews | **56.3% of reviews** | 33.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 6 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Masayuki Akamatsu](https://appshunter.io/developer/284722836) | [Tianlang innovation Technology (Shenzhen) Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1383171492) |

## 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


### Magic Display

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-display/id1395780650)

Transform your LED screen with custom text, designs, and effects via Bluetooth. This app offers built-in animations, collaborative playback, graffiti tools, and music synchronization for a unique visual experience.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth wireless connection, Custom text and design effects, Built-in display effects, Collaborative playback, Custom graffiti, Music playback synchronization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use once connected
- 🎨 Custom text and drawing features work well
- 🚀 Fast live display updates
- ✨ Fun and visually appealing
- 🔄 Simple connection process when working

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bluetooth connection failures (most critical issue)
- ❌ Limited customization options
- 🎵 Music functionality severely limited
- 📝 Text character limit too restrictive
- 🎨 Limited color options (fixed quadrants)

**Reported bugs**

- Bluetooth connection not discovering device
- App crashes when entering text (iOS 17 compatibility issue)
- Display shows upside down
- Apostrophe adds extra space in text
- Music mode crashes when playing

**Requested features**

- Custom animation creation tool
- Ability to upload and play personal music
- Spotify/Apple Music integration
- Customizable color selection
- Larger drawing/DIY canvas area


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Banner Basic free?

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

### Is Magic Display free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Banner Basic or Magic Display?

Banner Basic is rated higher. Banner Basic averages 3.2 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Magic Display averages 2.9 from 159 ratings.

### Do Banner Basic or Magic Display have ads?

Banner Basic shows ads; Magic Display does not.

### Which is updated more often, Banner Basic or Magic Display?

Banner Basic ships an update every 7 months, and Magic Display every 5 weeks. Most recently, Banner Basic was updated on September 27, 2026 and Magic Display on August 28, 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.*