Comparison

Strata Lite vs NDI Player

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

Head to head
About

Strata Lite

Control your Blackmagic Design ATEM switcher remotely via Wi-Fi. This app offers basic control for program and preview buttons, with additional features like transition control and button remapping available on iPad. It connects directly to your switcher without needing a separate computer.

Highlights
  • Program and Preview bus control
  • Cut and Auto transition control
  • T-Bar control
  • Remappable source button layout
  • Connection indicator with auto-reconnect
Features
Read full description

Strata Lite Remote for BlackMagic Design ATEM Switchers, including ATEM Television Studio, ATEM 1M/E, ATEM 2M/E, Production Studio 4K and 1M/E / 2M/E Production Studio 4K, TelevisionStudio HD and ATEM Mini Series. Strata connects directly to your ATEM switcher via Wifi and your switcher's network connection. It does not require a separate computer. LITE VERSION: The Lite version includes basic control of Program and Preview buttons on ATEM Switchers (on iPhone controls Program bus only). FEATURES (iPad version): * Control Program and Preview Busses * Cut and Auto Transition Control * TBar Control * Remapping of Source Button Layout * Connection Indicator with auto-reconnect Note that the iPhone version does not control preview or Auto, only cuts on the program bus. NOTE: It does not provide control of the second ME in ATEM 2M/E switchers, although it does control Program and Preview on the first ME of an ATEM 2M/E. This app is not designed for older ATEM Switchers not manufactured by BlackMagic Design. Strata requires iOS 8.1 or later and ATEM firmware version 3.4, thru 8.3 Firmware. NOTE: If you require more complete control of your ATEM switcher, including ME2 of the 2M/E, you should select Strata Pro from the App Store instead of Strata Lite. (Strata Pro provides control of ALL the main buttons on ATEM Switchers plus Midi Control and Macros). IMPORTANT: The control protocol uses UDP and is fairly intolerant to packet loss and network latency. It is very important to have a reliable, responsive WIFI network for Strata to work reliably. Wifi router performance varies between vendors, and best results have been shown with Apple Airport wifi routers. Some 3rd party routers have shown to be unreliable due to latency or UDP packet loss. Strata will now handle poor connections much more elegantly. See http://www.gallery.co.uk/livepad/support.html for more details on optimising your Wifi environment for Strata. Independent Review of this app at: http://www.studiotech.tv/st59strata/

About

NDI Player

This tool transforms your device into a convenient NDI source for live production. Create customized playlists, support multiple NDI formats, and utilize Apple Pencil for annotations. It offers seamless HDMI and AirPlay output with real-time audio monitoring.

Highlights
  • NDI source creation
  • Customized playlist
  • Screen mirroring/AirPlay output
  • Apple Pencil/Finger annotation
  • Multi-NDI source support
  • Real-time audio VU meter
Features
Read full description

- If you are working with NDI, this is your MUST-HAVE tool - Create the most convenient and affordable NDI source instantly - Both landscape and portrait output support - Fully customized playlist, a powerful video player for live production - Supports multitasking on iPad, multiply NDI sources simultaneously - Supports Full NDI, NDI HX H.264, and NDI HX HEVC, display connection tally status - Supports Apple Pencil or Finger markup, drawing, and annotation - Supports full-screen HDMI & ScreenMirroring/AirPlay output - With real-time audio VU meter monitor - No need to register, no subscription fees, one-time purchase for lifetime use

Screenshots

Strata Lite1 screens
NDI Player4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: NDI Player at Free against Strata Lite's $4.99. NDI Player also leads on rating (3.8 vs 3.0) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). Strata Lite's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.6). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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

NDI Player is free to download; Strata Lite costs $4.99 up front. NDI Player sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Strata Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NDI Player holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 30 and 18 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 31% of Strata Lite's written reviews are positive against 25% of NDI Player's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Strata Lite ships an update every 5 months, NDI Player fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Strata Lite versus NDI Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStrata LiteNDI Player
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating3.0 (30 ratings)3.8 (18 ratings) — better
Positive reviews30.6% of reviews — better25.0% of reviews
Number of ratings30 — better18
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMark GilbertTopDirector Corporation

Customer experience

Strata Lite

All ratings30 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive30.6%
Neutral12.2%
Negative57.1%

NDI Player

All ratings18 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral5.6%
Negative27.8%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

In-app purchases

None

Strata Lite

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

NDI Player

One-time4
  • Using Apple Pencil or Finger$4.99
  • Movie Playback$9.99
  • HDMI & ScreenMirroring/AirPlay$9.99
Show 1 more
  • List Playback$14.99

Questions

Is Strata Lite free?
Strata Lite costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is NDI Player free?
NDI Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Strata Lite or NDI Player?
NDI Player is rated higher. Strata Lite averages 3.0 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while NDI Player averages 3.8 from 18 ratings.
Do Strata Lite or NDI Player have ads?
Neither Strata Lite nor NDI Player shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Strata Lite or NDI Player?
Strata Lite ships an update every 5 months, and NDI Player fortnightly. Most recently, Strata Lite was updated on October 12, 2026 and NDI Player on October 14, 2026.

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