Comparison

iRFR Preview 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 Preview

This app offers a view-only display of active cue lists for lighting consoles. It's designed for professionals needing to monitor current and upcoming cues. iPad users can also take and export notes on cues.

Highlights
  • View-only cue list display
  • Monitor current and pending cues
  • Note-taking on iPad
  • Export notes to text file
  • Works on iPhone and iPad
Features
Read full description

The Preview iRFR application for the Eos family of products - Eos, Ion and Element - provides a view-only Cue List display of the active cue list. ideal for lighting designers and stage managers who need to only see current and pending cues, this application works on the iPhone, iPad Touch and iPad products. On the iPad, this application makes it possible for designers to take notes on cues, copy those notes to a text file and email them as needed.

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

iRFR Preview3 screens
QLab Remote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: QLab Remote at 63% against iRFR Preview's 0%. QLab Remote also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.8) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 12 months). iRFR Preview's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. QLab Remote sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. iRFR Preview asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

QLab Remote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: QLab Remote has 26 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of iRFR Preview's written reviews are positive against 63% of QLab Remote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iRFR Preview ships an update every 12 months, QLab Remote every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 15, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
iRFR Preview versus QLab Remote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriRFR PreviewQLab Remote
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (4 ratings)4.7 (26 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews62.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings426 — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 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 Preview

All ratings4 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

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 Preview

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

QLab Remote

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

Questions

Is iRFR Preview free?
iRFR Preview is free to download, 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 Preview or QLab Remote?
QLab Remote is rated higher. iRFR Preview averages 2.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while QLab Remote averages 4.7 from 26 ratings.
Do iRFR Preview or QLab Remote have ads?
Neither iRFR Preview nor QLab Remote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iRFR Preview or QLab Remote?
iRFR Preview ships an update every 12 months, and QLab Remote every 3 weeks. Most recently, iRFR Preview was updated on August 15, 2026 and QLab Remote on September 21, 2026.

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