Comparison

StageTools vs Lumographe Early

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

Head to head
About

StageTools

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
Read full description

StageTools is a lighting toolkit for iPhone and iPad, built for the work that happens before, during, and after the rig is in the air. Scout the job. Plot the rig. Troubleshoot the network. Check DMX. Keep fixture data, files, notes, and utility tools close without opening a laptop. TOOLBOX Network Devices scans your show network and helps you keep track of nodes, switches, consoles, and other devices. DMX Viewer listens to sACN and ArtNet so you can inspect live universe data and catch channel changes. Micro Console gives you a pocket-sized lighting console for fixture testing, quick looks, and controlled sACN or ArtNet output when you need it. Protocol Detector passively listens for common show-network traffic so you can see what is talking before you change anything. LTC Timecode can generate, receive, or jam timecode from your device. Curve Builder helps build fixture correction references from meter readings and export them for real show workflows. DIP Switch and CCT Converter cover the small calculations that still come up on set and in the shop. QUICK PLOTS Build fast lighting plots, network layouts, and power notes on one canvas. Add symbols, labels, cables, layers, backgrounds, custom symbols, and exports to PDF or PNG. SCOUT NOTES Create location scouts with photos, videos, marked-up images, note tabs, voice memos, transcripts, files, and PDF export. Make Scout Notes can turn a voice transcript into structured notes you can review and insert. FIXTURES Search, download, favorite, and reference fixtures from the GDTF Share Library. Downloaded fixtures can be used across StageTools workflows. FILES Save links, PDFs, manuals, plots, patch sheets, network diagrams, and local files. Organize by folder, category, and favorites, then share folder bundles when another StageTools user needs the same packet. BUILT FOR LIGHTING WORK StageTools is focused on lighting professionals: set lighting crews, theatrical electricians, lighting designers, programmers, gaffers, and touring techs. Many tools work offline. Live network tools require access to the show network. Core data stays on your device, with optional iCloud Sync for your own devices. StageTools is free to try. A subscription unlocks the full lighting workflow after the trial. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Lumographe Early

Features
Read full description

Lumographe Early is a DMX512 lighting console for iPad and iPhone. It is built for lighting designers, board operators, technicians and venue crews who prepare, rehearse and run a show. EVERYTHING IS UNLOCKED No feature is gated. No in-app purchases, no subscription, no ads shown. PATCH Patch from a library of fixtures and DMX modes, or describe your own profiles. Every fixture exposes its real parameters: intensity, RGB and RGBW colour, variable white, green/magenta tint, strobe, pan and tilt, gobos, prism, zoom. CELLS AND FADERS A cell table to select, group, filter and edit live. Faders that show exactly what the engine sends, channel by channel, with no drift between the screen and the output. SCENES, EFFECTS, TIMELINES Store scenes and recall them with a fade. Build effects (chases, sine, fire, random, rainbow) and drop them onto a selection. Record timelines live, chain sequences, edit them step by step. LIGHTING PLOT Place your fixtures on a plot, annotate it, export it, and control the rig straight from the plot. DJ MODE A dedicated trigger surface: scene pads, assignable faders, tempo-locked effects. REAL DMX OUTPUT Art-Net and sACN to a node on the local network, wireless Bluetooth DMX nodes, DMX input, up to 256 universes. Output status stays visible at all times: what is being sent, on which universe, to which target. CONTROL AND SYNC OSC, MIDI with learn on faders and scenes, LTC timecode through the audio input, HomeKit lights alongside DMX, and the Tournesol bridge (ESP32-S3) to follow the sun. SHARED SET Several iPads and iPhones on the same show, over local Wi-Fi or the Internet. Every participant has a colour, and you can see who just touched what. BUILT-IN SIMULATOR A 512-channel DMX simulator lets you patch, program and rehearse without a single fixture plugged in. It is also the fastest way to discover the app. PRIVACY Your projects stay on your device. An account is optional: it covers cloud backup, the shared set and your settings following you across devices. Crash reporting and usage statistics can be switched off in the settings. With your consent in Settings and the iOS tracking permission for Google, the app measures which ads lead to its install; your projects are never shared. Published by NOLO (SAS), Paris. Guide and documentation: lumographe.com TERMS AND PRIVACY Terms of Use (EULA): https://lumographe.com/cgu.html Apple standard End User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://lumographe.com/confidentialite.html

Screenshots

StageTools4 screens
Lumographe Early4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lumographe Early at none against StageTools's 2. Lumographe Early also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. StageTools sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Lumographe Early asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StageTools ships an update every 2 weeks, Lumographe Early every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
StageTools versus Lumographe Early: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStageToolsLumographe Early
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size87 MB483 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperX0 Lighting Control Inc.NOLO (APPS)

In-app purchases

2 purchases

StageTools

Subscriptions2
  • StageTools Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • StageTools Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
None

Lumographe Early

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is StageTools free?
StageTools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lumographe Early free?
Lumographe Early is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do StageTools or Lumographe Early have ads?
Neither StageTools nor Lumographe Early shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StageTools or Lumographe Early?
StageTools ships an update every 2 weeks, and Lumographe Early every 3 days. Most recently, StageTools was updated on October 24, 2026 and Lumographe Early on October 28, 2026.

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