Light Box vs SynScan
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Light Box
Transform your iPad into a versatile film illuminator viewer. Adjust brightness, lock rotation, and add grids or lines for precise viewing. A cost-effective alternative to dedicated lightboxes.
- Film negative/positive viewer
- Adjustable brightness
- Rotation lock
- Grid and line overlays
- iPad optimized
Read full descriptionHide full description
Turn your iPad into negative / positive film illuminator viewer. Why pay 100 dollars for LightBox when you can turn your iPad into one with selectable styles. Desensitized white screen has a small settings button at the top right, where you can lock rotation, adjust brightness, or add a grid or lines. Simple and Smart. *Important notice: We shall not be responsible or liable for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of functions or the content of this application. By using this application you are deemed to agree to this condition.
SynScan
Control motorized telescope mounts for celestial object tracking and exploration. Features include GOTO functionality, object catalogs, and gamepad navigation. Ideal for novice users with alt-azimuth mounts.
- Control telescope mount slew, align, GOTO, and track
- Point and Track celestial objects
- Support gamepad navigation
- Browse and save celestial object catalogs
- Third-party app integration (ASCOM, SkySafari, Stellarium)
- Emulator mount for testing
Read full descriptionHide full description
Use the SynScan app to control Sky-Watcher telescope mounts via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth LE. Mounts without built-in Wi-Fi can be supported via a SynScan Wi-Fi adapter. This version of the SynScan app is suited for novice users using alt-azimuth mounts. Features - Control telescope mount to slew, align, GOTO and track. - Point And Track: track celestial objects (including the Sun and planets) without aligning. - Support gamepad navigation. - Browse a catalog of stars, comets, and deep sky objects. Or, save your own objects. - Provide access to mount for use by third-party apps, including ASCOM clients, SkySafari, Luminos, Stellarium Mobile Plus, Stellarium Desktop or customer-developed apps. Also set up mount alignment for Luminos, Skysafari. - Support access to the mount and the SynScan app from any platform that supports TCP/UDP connections. - Provide emulator mount for testing and practicing. - Track fast-moving earth satellites by working with the PreviSat app on Windows PC or the Lumios app on iOS devices.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SynScan at Free against Light Box's $0.99. SynScan also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Light Box's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.3) and review sentiment (48% vs 22%). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
SynScan is free to download; Light Box costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Light Box holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Light Box's written reviews are positive against 22% of SynScan's.
Light Box ships an update every 3 months, SynScan every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 9, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Light Box | SynScan |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (11 ratings) — better | 3.3 (8 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 47.6% of reviews — better | 22.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 11 — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Systemiko Inc. | Astropower Technology Co. Ltd. |
Customer experience
Light Box
SynScan
In-app purchases
Light Box
No in-app purchases
SynScan
No in-app purchases
