# Blackout Next (Legacy) vs TheLightingController

The clearest difference is rating: Blackout Next (Legacy) at 5.0 against TheLightingController's 1.0. Blackout Next (Legacy) also leads on ratings volume (21 vs 1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). TheLightingController's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Blackout Next (Legacy) sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. TheLightingController asks for nothing beyond the download.

Blackout Next (Legacy) holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blackout Next (Legacy) has 21 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Blackout Next (Legacy) ships an update fortnightly, TheLightingController every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Blackout Next (Legacy) | TheLightingController |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackout-next-legacy/id6475490278/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thelightingcontroller/id6554000067/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **21** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 359 MB | 102 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blackout Lighting Console Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896466673) | [The Lighting Controller](https://appshunter.io/developer/425185782) |

## What reviewers say

### Blackout Next (Legacy)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackout-next-legacy/id6475490278)

This professional lighting console app offers an intuitive interface for controlling DMX, Art-Net, and sACN lighting systems. It features a vast cloud fixture database, custom fixture creation, and a robust multi-cuelist platform for organizing lighting looks.

**Highlights:** Cloud Fixture Database, Custom Fixture Creation, Intuitive Fixture Controls, Multi-Cuelist Platform, Dynamic Effects Engine, MIDI Support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Plan | $799.99 | one-time |


### TheLightingController

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thelightingcontroller/id6554000067)

Design impressive light shows for your DMX lighting equipment. This mobile application is specifically built to function with the DMX interface "D1024W".

**Highlights:** Create lightshows, DMX lighting control, Works with D1024W interface, Mobile lighting design

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Blackout Next (Legacy) free?

Blackout Next (Legacy) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is TheLightingController free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Blackout Next (Legacy) or TheLightingController?

Blackout Next (Legacy) is rated higher. Blackout Next (Legacy) averages 5.0 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while TheLightingController averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Blackout Next (Legacy) or TheLightingController have ads?

Neither Blackout Next (Legacy) nor TheLightingController shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Blackout Next (Legacy) or TheLightingController?

Blackout Next (Legacy) ships an update fortnightly, and TheLightingController every 5 weeks. Most recently, Blackout Next (Legacy) was updated on October 16, 2026 and TheLightingController on October 19, 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.*