Comparison

Stage Manager vs Group Planner

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

Head to head
About

Stage Manager

This app provides engineers with comprehensive control over video routing, processing, and control equipment via an Apple device. It allows for the creation and triggering of macros through a visual grid interface, simplifying complex operations. An audit log tracks executed macros for easy troubleshooting.

Highlights
  • Video equipment control
  • Macro creation and triggering
  • Colorful grid-view interface
  • Audit log for executed macros
  • Streamlined video system management
Features
Read full description

Introducing our new app designed specifically for engineers who work with video routing, processing, and control equipment! Our powerful app puts you in complete control of your video equipment, right from your Apple device. With our app, you can create macros that can be easily triggered in a colorful grid-view interface. This makes it easy to perform complex video equipment operations with just a few taps on your iPhone or iPad. Our app's audit log feature also allows you to keep track of all macros previously executed, making it easy to track changes and troubleshoot any issues that may arise. Designed with the needs of engineers in mind, our app makes it easy to manage even the most complex video systems with minimal effort. Whether you're working in a production facility, broadcast studio, or live event setting, our app gives you the tools you need to get the job done quickly and efficiently. So if you're an engineer looking to streamline your video equipment management, look no further than our app. Download it now from the Apple App Store and experience the ultimate in video equipment control and management.

About

Group Planner

Easily coordinate schedules for group events like trips, game nights, or weekends away. Mark your availability with flexible options, including specific hours and recurring busy times, to find the perfect dates and times for everyone.

Highlights
  • Mark availability (free, busy, maybe, prefer)
  • Set specific hours and recurring busy times
  • Find optimal dates for trips and hangouts
  • Manage event details and what to bring
  • Group chat and commenting
  • Calendar integration
  • No ads, privacy-focused
Features
Read full description

FreeTogether helps small groups find the dates and times everyone can make: trips, reunions, weekends away, game nights. HOW IT WORKS • Create a group and invite friends with a link or an 8-character code. Sign in with Apple, Google or email. • Everyone marks the days they're free, busy, might make (Maybe) or would love (Prefer). Days nobody marks count half, so the dates people said they can make come first. • Only free some of the day? Set the hours, like free 6 – 9 PM or busy 9 AM – 5 PM, on one day or the same hours on each day of a range. • Busy every week? Repeat a mark weekly, like busy Mon–Fri until March, in one step. • In several groups? Mark your dates once and add them to your other groups too. • Add busy times from your phone's calendar. FreeTogether reads it on your phone and adds only Busy or Maybe days and times; event names and details stay on your phone. FIND THE BEST DATES • Find dates ranks trip windows of 3 to 14 days, up to a year ahead, by how many people are free. • Find a time looks for a few hours on one day for a hangout: any time, daytime or evening. • See who's free on each day, and each group's events right on the calendar. Remind the people who haven't marked their dates yet. MAKE PLANS • Create an event, ask "Are you in?", and confirm it when it works. • What to bring: list what an event needs, say what you'll bring, and see what's still open. • Comment under an event or chat with your group, and like comments. On a weak connection, keep adding: it's sent when you're back online. • Add a cover photo to a group or an event. • Add an event to your calendar in one tap, and open its place in Maps. • Get notified about new events, confirmed plans, new members, comments, what people are bringing and reminders. Choose which ones, or mute a group. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No ads. Your availability is visible only to the members of your groups. • Report or block members, comments, photos and list items at any time. • Delete your account from the app, or at freetogether-app.web.app/delete-account.html. Works on iPhone and iPad. FreeTogether is for people 16 and older.

Screenshots

Stage Manager4 screens
Group Planner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Group Planner at 5.0 against Stage Manager's 2.1. Group Planner also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). Stage Manager's advantage is ratings volume (7 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Group Planner holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stage Manager has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stage Manager ships an update weekly, Group Planner every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Stage Manager versus Group Planner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStage ManagerGroup Planner
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.1 (7 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFuse Technical Group, LLCDanny Dominguez

Customer experience

Stage Manager

All ratings7 ratings
Positive28.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative71.4%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Group Planner

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Stage Manager

No in-app purchases

None

Group Planner

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Stage Manager free?
Stage Manager is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Group Planner free?
Group Planner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Stage Manager or Group Planner?
Group Planner is rated higher. Stage Manager averages 2.1 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Group Planner averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Stage Manager or Group Planner have ads?
Neither Stage Manager nor Group Planner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stage Manager or Group Planner?
Stage Manager ships an update weekly, and Group Planner every 2 days. Most recently, Stage Manager was updated on November 3, 2026 and Group Planner on November 5, 2026.

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