Comparison

Magic Lights ES vs Ants on a Melon

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

Head to head
About

Magic Lights ES

Transform your device into a versatile light source. Enjoy dynamic disco effects, ambient lighting, and a functional flashlight. Customize colors and transitions for unique light shows.

Highlights
  • Flashlight functionality
  • Disco-style color effects
  • Soft ambient illumination
  • Customizable light shows
  • SOS light signal
Features
Read full description

Magic Lights is the all-in-one light machine for your iPhone. It delivers flashlight, disco-style colors, soft ambient illumination — you name it. Magic Lights provides full control over the display colors and the LED photo light (if your device has one). Features: * Disco lights * Smooth ambient color changes * Flashlight (uses LED photo light if present) * SOS light (uses LED photo light if present) * Create your own light shows in a range of great colors and transition styles. TIPS: - Best effect in a darkened room - Turn your display brightness to the maximum in the iPhone's settings. - Turn the display towards a white wall for indirect illumination - Allow Magic Lights access to the back light (iPhone Settings -> Privacy -> Camera) WARNING: - Don't use if you are sensitive to light effects - Prolonged use of your phone's photo light will drain the battery quickly. - Prolonged use of your phone's photo light might cause temporary automatic disabling of the photo light to prevent overheating. NOTE: This free version is fully functional, but ad-sponsored. If you don't like to see ads and have a spare buck, consider getting Magic Lights Deluxe instead.

About

Ants on a Melon

Design and control custom lighting sequences for a Bluetooth-enabled color-changing flashlight. Create dynamic effects, adjust colors and brightness, and save favorite looks for performances, photography, or costuming.

Highlights
  • Adjust colors, brightness, and strobe
  • Design dynamic lighting sequences
  • Organize looks into playlists
  • Access a library of presets
  • Build custom modes with 8 effects
  • Wireless control up to 20 meters
Read full description

Take total control of your RGB Critter BT color-changing flashlight with the Ants on a Melon app. Built for flow artists, light painters, photographers, and creative performers, the app makes it easy to design stunning lighting sequences and effects for shows, performances, long-exposure photography, and costuming. Use Bluetooth to adjust colors, brightness, strobe, and dynamic effects with intuitive color pickers and responsive controls. Organize your favorite looks into playlists, choose from a wide library of presets, or build your own custom modes with 8 dynamic effects and adjustable speed. A Universal Settings page lets you fine-tune autoplay, strobe intensity, brightness, and more. Users love how easy and fun it is to create and switch modes, praising the intuitive interface, huge color options, and smooth wireless control that enhances both flow art and light painting workflows. Wirelessly control the RGB Critter BT from up to 20 meters away, letting you tweak your visuals on the fly without interrupting your performance. Whether you’re building a vibrant light show for a festival, crafting long-exposure art, or matching colors to costumes and props, the Ants on a Melon app lets your creativity shine with precision and ease.

Screenshots

Magic Lights ES4 screens
Ants on a Melon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ants on a Melon at 100% against Magic Lights ES's 36%. Ants on a Melon also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.5) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 26 months). Magic Lights ES's advantage is ratings volume (74 vs 19) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.0). On price, 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ants on a Melon holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 74 and 19 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Magic Lights ES's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ants on a Melon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Magic Lights ES ships an update every 26 months, Ants on a Melon every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Magic Lights ES versus Ants on a Melon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagic Lights ESAnts on a Melon
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (74 ratings)4.9 (19 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings74 — better19
Update frequencyEvery 26 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTLogic.deAnts on a Melon, Inc.

Customer experience

Magic Lights ES

All ratings73 ratings
Positive34.2%
Neutral6.8%
Negative58.9%
Written reviews74 reviews
Positive36.5%
Neutral18.9%
Negative44.6%

Ants on a Melon

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Magic Lights ES

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Crashes on editing shows
  • Crashes when trying to play shows
  • App freezes on edit button
  • App crashes before opening
  • Stopped working after update
Show 2 more
  • Button names not visible
  • App won't open after update

Requested features

5 requests
  • More options for light effects
  • Update LED for colored spots
  • Sleep timer
  • Add patterns or gradients
  • Improve brightness

Ants on a Melon

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Magic Lights ES

No in-app purchases

None

Ants on a Melon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Magic Lights ES free?
Magic Lights ES is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ants on a Melon free?
Ants on a Melon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Magic Lights ES or Ants on a Melon?
Ants on a Melon is rated higher. Magic Lights ES averages 2.5 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while Ants on a Melon averages 4.9 from 19 ratings.
Do Magic Lights ES or Ants on a Melon have ads?
Neither Magic Lights ES nor Ants on a Melon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Magic Lights ES or Ants on a Melon?
Magic Lights ES ships an update every 26 months, and Ants on a Melon every 2 months. Most recently, Magic Lights ES was updated on October 22, 2026 and Ants on a Melon on October 22, 2026.

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