FocusRemote vs MagicQ Remote Control
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FocusRemote
Control lighting systems remotely via Wi-Fi using Art-Net or sACN protocols. Manage up to 2048 channels across four universes, with options to store, play, and update lighting cues.
- Art-Net/sACN universe transmission
- Ethernet Node conversion to DMX
- Store, Play, Merge, and Update Memories
- Control up to 2048 Channels (4 Universes)
- Customizable Spotnumbers
- Full commandline support
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FocusRemote sends up to 4 Art-Net/sACN universes over the Wi-Fi connection. Using an Ethernet Node, Art-Net or sACN can be converted to a DMX signal. Features: - Full commandline support - Store, Play, Merge and Update Memories - Highlight at custom level! - Use your own Spotnumbers - Control up to 2048 Channels (4 Universes) - Each universe can be sACN or Art-Net - When you type @ 0 [Enter], the selected channel will be cleared
MagicQ Remote Control
Control your ChamSys lighting console remotely. Adjust focus, color, and test your rig. Edit and update lighting cues, palettes, and groups directly from your device.
- Remote control for MagicQ consoles
- Pan and tilt focusing controls
- Rainbow color picker
- Execute Window for rig testing
- Edit and update palettes, groups, and cues
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ChamSys Ltd MagicQ Remote Control ChamSys MagicQ systems provide leading edge control of stage lighting, LED pixelmapping and media systems. The MagicQ Remote enables remote control of MagicQ systems including MagicQ consoles and MagicQ PC Wing solutions. MagicQ Remote supports focusing with pan and tilt controls, colour adjustment using the rainbow colour picker and rig testing through the unique MagicQ Execute Window. Palettes, Groups and Cues can be edited and updated. ChamSys MagicQ software supports up to 102,400 channels (200 DMX universes) and is available to download and use for free from ChamSys website www.chamsys.co.uk. For instructions please use the in app link to the manual; go to Connection, Help and tap the Open Manual button. For bug reports, please submit them to our bugtracker: https://secure.chamsys.co.uk/bugtracker/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: MagicQ Remote Control at Free against FocusRemote's $11.99. MagicQ Remote Control also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 30 months). FocusRemote's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (86% vs 63%). On ratings volume, 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
MagicQ Remote Control is free to download; FocusRemote costs $11.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
FocusRemote holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of FocusRemote's written reviews are positive against 63% of MagicQ Remote Control's.
FocusRemote ships an update every 30 months, MagicQ Remote Control every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FocusRemote | MagicQ Remote Control |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $11.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | 4.3 (10 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews — better | 62.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 10 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 30 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.2 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bart van Stiphout | ChamSys Ltd |
Customer experience
FocusRemote
MagicQ Remote Control
In-app purchases
FocusRemote
No in-app purchases
MagicQ Remote Control
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is FocusRemote free?
Is MagicQ Remote Control free?
Which has better reviews, FocusRemote or MagicQ Remote Control?
Do FocusRemote or MagicQ Remote Control have ads?
Which is updated more often, FocusRemote or MagicQ Remote Control?
Other comparisons
