Comparison

iRFR vs QLab Remote

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

Head to head
About

iRFR

Control ETC Eos family lighting systems remotely from your mobile device. Access programming and playback features, including cue lists and direct selects. Requires Eos family software 2.6 or higher.

Highlights
  • Remote control for Eos family lighting systems
  • Programming and playback features
  • Tab-based display system
  • Moving light controls
  • Direct selects
  • Cue list access
  • Security controls
Features
Read full description

The iRFR from ETC provides a remote for any Eos family lighting system (Eos, Eos Ti, Gio, Gio @5, Ion, Element and Eos/Ion Remote Processors). This application requires Eos family software 2.6 or higher on the connected lighting system. Eos 3.0 or higher is required for Focus Wand Please note the iRFR is NOT support by Cobalt. The iRFR supports most features needed for programming and playback. It does not support remote patching and system configuration. A tab-based system changes the displays from the full keyboard, moving light controls, direct selects, playback tools and a cue list. Security controls prevent un-authorized access to a lighting system.

About

QLab Remote

Control and edit live show cues remotely from your iOS device. This companion app for macOS software allows you to flag cues, adjust audio levels, and modify video geometry from anywhere in the venue. It offers a free read-only mode and optional in-app purchases for full editing capabilities.

Highlights
  • Remote control of QLab workspaces
  • Edit cue properties
  • Adjust audio levels and video geometry
  • Flag cues and edit notes
  • Real-time cue updates
  • Read-Only Mode for safe viewing
Features
Read full description

QLab Remote is the official iOS companion app for remote control of QLab, the award-winning live show control software for macOS. QLab Remote requires a connection to QLab 3.0 or later. Some features require a specific minimum version of QLab 4 or 5. See https://qlab.app/docs/v5/networking/qlab-remote/#requirements for details. Get out of the booth and edit your QLab workspace from wherever you are. Flag cues as you sit in tech rehearsal. Adjust audio levels from the front row. Change the geometry of a video cue from the stage. QLab Remote is free to use in "Read-Only Mode", which allows you to view a workspace & follow along worry-free and also includes the unlimited ability to flag cues & edit cue notes. Optional In-App Purchases are available to unlock show control, editing, and light tools features. FEATURES - Automatically finds any QLab workspace on the network. - Updates in QLab are instantly reflected in QLab Remote and vice versa. - Open multiple windows on iPad to view workspaces side-by-side on one screen. - Quickly flag and edit notes for cues. - Easily switch between cue lists. - Watch active cues update in real-time. - Enable "Read-Only Mode" to follow along without worrying you'll accidentally trigger a cue. - Edit basic properties for all cues, such as name, number, notes, color, armed, flagged, etc. - Adjust audio levels and patches for audio, mic, and video cues. - Change display geometry for video, text, and camera cues. - Double-tap a cue to quickly edit it. Please contact support@figure53.com with issues or feedback.

Screenshots

iRFR4 screens
QLab Remote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: QLab Remote at Free against iRFR's $49.99. QLab Remote also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.9) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months). iRFR's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On ratings volume, ads 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

QLab Remote is free to download; iRFR costs $49.99 up front. QLab Remote sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. iRFR asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

QLab Remote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 26 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of iRFR's written reviews are positive against 63% of QLab Remote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iRFR ships an update every 10 months, QLab Remote every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
iRFR versus QLab Remote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriRFRQLab Remote
Price$49.99Free — better
Rating2.9 (17 ratings)4.7 (26 ratings) — better
Positive reviews49.0% of reviews62.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1726 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperElectronic Theatre Controls, Inc.Figure 53

Customer experience

iRFR

All ratings17 ratings
Positive35.3%
Neutral17.6%
Negative47.1%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive49.0%
Neutral22.4%
Negative28.6%

QLab Remote

All ratings26 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral7.5%
Negative30.0%

In-app purchases

None

iRFR

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

QLab Remote

One-time2
  • Light Tools$19.99
  • Show Control & Editing$39.99

Questions

Is iRFR free?
iRFR costs $49.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is QLab Remote free?
QLab Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iRFR or QLab Remote?
QLab Remote is rated higher. iRFR averages 2.9 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while QLab Remote averages 4.7 from 26 ratings.
Do iRFR or QLab Remote have ads?
Neither iRFR nor QLab Remote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iRFR or QLab Remote?
iRFR ships an update every 10 months, and QLab Remote every 3 weeks. Most recently, iRFR was updated on September 23, 2026 and QLab Remote on September 21, 2026.

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