# Blackout Next (Legacy) vs StageTools

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Blackout Next (Legacy) at 21 against StageTools's 4. On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Blackout Next (Legacy) sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and StageTools sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Blackout Next (Legacy) against 5.0 for StageTools. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blackout Next (Legacy) has 21 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Blackout Next (Legacy) ships an update fortnightly, StageTools every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Blackout Next (Legacy) | StageTools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackout-next-legacy/id6475490278/reviews) | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stagetools/id6760953336/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **21** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 359 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blackout Lighting Console Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896466673) | [X0 Lighting Control Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886615494) |

## 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 |


### StageTools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stagetools/id6760953336)

A comprehensive lighting toolkit for professionals, offering network scanning, DMX inspection, fixture testing, and plot creation. Manage fixture data, files, and notes without needing a laptop, with many tools available offline.

**Highlights:** Network device scanning, DMX viewer for sACN/ArtNet, Micro console for fixture testing, Protocol detector, LTC timecode generation/reception, Curve builder, Quick plot creation, Scout notes with multimedia

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| StageTools Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| StageTools Annual | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Blackout Next (Legacy) free?

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

### Is StageTools free?

StageTools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

Blackout Next (Legacy) and StageTools are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 21 and 4 ratings respectively.

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

Neither Blackout Next (Legacy) nor StageTools shows ads.

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

Blackout Next (Legacy) ships an update fortnightly, and StageTools every 2 weeks. Most recently, Blackout Next (Legacy) was updated on October 16, 2026 and StageTools on October 24, 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.*