# Astral vs Magic Cue

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Astral at 100% against Magic Cue's 0%. Astral also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.0) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). Magic Cue's advantage is price (Free vs $59.99) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Magic Cue is free to download; Astral costs $59.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Astral holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Astral has 14 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Astral's written reviews are positive against 0% of Magic Cue's.

Astral ships an update every 2 weeks, Magic Cue every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Astral | Magic Cue |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $59.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astral-harrius-and-kerstein/id6449741307/reviews)** | [1.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-cue/id6514324529/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 40 MB | 114 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marc Kerstein](https://appshunter.io/developer/821255617) | [Vanishing Inc. Magic LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1755785429) |

## What reviewers say

### Astral

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astral-harrius-and-kerstein/id6449741307)

This app allows users to create the illusion of producing small objects from their phone. It features advanced AI for object extraction and a natural forcing mechanism to make the production seem impossible. It's designed for entertainment purposes, offering customizable performance presets.

**Highlights:** Force any object naturally, Produce small objects from phone, Advanced AI for object extraction, Quick Produce Mode for instant performance, Combine forcing and production effects, Create and store custom presets

**In-app purchases:** none


### Magic Cue

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-cue/id6514324529)

This app provides comprehensive show control for performers, allowing them to program and visualize audio, video, and camera elements. It integrates seamlessly with smart buttons for easy triggering of custom commands and supports both wired and wireless setups for flexible performance environments.

**Highlights:** Show programming with audio, video, and camera, Integration with Flic Smart Buttons, Long-range Bluetooth connectivity, Wired and wireless setup options, Import/export show elements, Visual show programming

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Astral free?

Astral costs $59.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Magic Cue free?

Magic Cue is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Astral or Magic Cue?

Astral is rated higher. Astral averages 5.0 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Magic Cue averages 1.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Astral or Magic Cue have ads?

Neither Astral nor Magic Cue shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Astral or Magic Cue?

Astral ships an update every 2 weeks, and Magic Cue every 4 months. Most recently, Astral was updated on November 7, 2026 and Magic Cue on November 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*