Comparison

LANtern vs LANtern

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

Head to head
About

LANtern

Features
Read full description

LANtern – your network at a glance. LANtern shows you in seconds which devices are connected to your Wi-Fi β€” clearly explained, entirely on your iPhone, and without any data leaving your device. What LANtern does: β€’ Network scan: Finds all reachable devices with IP, vendor, device type, hostname and open ports. β€’ Device names via Bonjour: Recognises names like "Living-Room-TV" or "Fritz's MacBook" instead of just numbers. β€’ Security score: A clear rating for your network plus concrete findings, such as unencrypted web interfaces. β€’ Understand services: For every open port, a plain-language explanation of what the service is and whether it's a risk. β€’ Toolbox: Ping, traceroute, port scan, DNS lookup and Wake-on-LAN. β€’ In-app browser: Open the web interfaces of routers, NAS and more directly. β€’ Network knowledge: A reference with over 80 terms and a quiz with four difficulty levels. β€’ IT calculators: Subnet, CIDR, password strength and more. LANtern Pro (optional one-time purchase) unlocks: β€’ Network map: All devices arranged graphically around the router, shareable as an image. β€’ Signal history: Find dead spots by measuring connection quality as you walk around β€” and save patterns to compare. β€’ New-device alerts: Get notified when an unknown device appears. β€’ Full history & export, extended port scans and more. Honest and private: LANtern collects no data, has no ads and no tracking. All analysis stays on your device. Where iOS sets limits (e.g. no exact signal strength in dBm, no foreign VLANs), we say so openly instead of inventing numbers. Important: Only use LANtern on your own network or with explicit permission. Scanning networks without authorisation may be a criminal offence.

About

LANtern

Features
Read full description

Ever wondered what's actually on your Wi-Fi? LANtern lights it up. Tap Scan and LANtern finds the devices on your network: phones, Macs, TVs, speakers, cameras, smart plugs, and that Raspberry Pi in the closet. For each one it tells you what it is, its address and name, and how it knows. THREE WAYS TO LOOK β€’ Lantern in the Dark: a lantern sweeps a candlelit room and each device flickers to life β€’ Living Mesh: everything branches out from your router β€’ List: search, sort and browse by kind, with a map of every address KNOW WHAT'S WHAT β€’ Names devices by kind, model and maker, using Bonjour, your router's names, open ports, web pages and SSH banners β€’ "How LANtern Knows" shows the evidence behind every guess β€’ Open web dashboards, Pi-hole and Plex in one tap, or copy an SSH command β€’ Remembers each network, keeps the names you give devices, and points out newcomers NO ACCOUNT NEEDED LANtern only looks at your local network. Open it, tap Scan, done. GREAT ON IPAD Keep the scene, the list and a device's details side by side. SCAN FREE, UNLOCK ONCE Scanning and the scenes are free. A one-time purchase reveals every address, hostname and service, and adds accent themes and alternate app icons. No subscription. Good to know: iOS doesn't let apps read other devices' hardware (MAC) addresses, so LANtern shows one only when a device or your router announces it.

Screenshots

LANtern4 screens
LANtern4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: LANtern at none against LANtern's shown. LANtern's advantage is iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. LANtern sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and LANtern sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
LANtern versus LANtern: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLANternLANtern
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksβ€”
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size11 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSimon AußerlechnerFernando Bunn

In-app purchases

1 purchases

LANtern

One-time1
  • LANtern Pro Lifetime$3.99
1 purchases

LANtern

One-time1
  • Unlock LANtern$5.99

Questions

Is LANtern free?
LANtern is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LANtern free?
LANtern is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do LANtern or LANtern have ads?
LANtern shows ads; LANtern does not.

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