Comparison

Luxor® Controller vs Alarm Relay

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

Head to head
About

Luxor® Controller

Control outdoor lighting fixtures remotely to adjust intensity, color, and create custom themes. Manage multiple lighting systems and schedule lighting for various occasions. Offers advanced color creation and wireless fixture assignment.

Highlights
  • Adjust fixture intensity and color
  • Create unique lighting themes
  • Cloud management for remote access
  • Manage multiple lighting sites
  • Create up to 250 lighting groups
  • Custom color creation (RGBW LED)
  • Wireless fixture assignment
Features
Read full description

With the Luxor app, you can adjust fixture intensity and color, create unique themes, and fine-tune your color palette for special occasions — right from the palm of your hand! CLOUD MANAGEMENT With Luxor® Cloud management, it’s easier than ever before to bring nighttime living spaces to life. Cloud connection eliminates local network limitations to streamline control in the field and enable remote site management from anywhere in the world via an internet connection. SITES Sites allow you to easily manage multiple Luxor systems. If you are the owner of a Luxor system, give your site a name such as MY HOUSE. Groups Adjust intensity and colors (ZDC fixtures only) of individual or groups of fixtures to tailor your lighting design. With a Luxor system, you can create up to 250 adjustable lighting groups that can be turned on independently and dimmed from 1–100%. Themes With Luxor technology, you can add pizzazz to your home to complement any occasion through industry-leading custom color creation capabilities. Design one-of-a-kind holiday displays, create team spirit for the big game, add company colors for work-related events, or simply adjust colors to match vegetation as the seasons change. Color Creation The Luxor ZDC controller provides the ability to create up to 30,000 colors using the latest RGBW LED technology. Use the color bars to select the desired hue, saturation level, and intensity for any light or group of lights. You can also create a personalized palette to easily access up to 250 user-saved color options. Programming/Schedules Create custom lighting schedules for everyday living, holidays, and celebrations. Event-based programming initiates custom themes or individual lighting fixtures throughout the night. Light Assignment The Luxor Light Assignment Module (LAM) with next-generation ActivAssign™ technology allows for wireless assignment of FX Luminaire LED lighting fixtures and Luxor accessories. Simply plug the LAM into your smart device, enter Assignment Mode, choose the fixture group, aim the LAM at the desired light, and you’re all set.

About

Alarm Relay

Control your entire home security system, cameras, lights, and other connected devices remotely. Receive instant notifications for alarms or system changes, and view live video feeds from your cameras. Requires an existing account with the service.

Highlights
  • Remote arm/disarm of security system
  • Real-time alarm notifications
  • Live video streaming from cameras
  • Control Z-Wave home automation devices
  • Text and email alerts
Features
Read full description

Alarm Relay gives you complete control over your security system, cameras, lights, locks, thermostats and other connected devices from anywhere in the world. Key Features: Arm and disarm your home security system from anywhere Receive text and/or email notifications in the event of an alarm, or when the system is disarmed Watch and record live video through your home security cameras Control your home automation-enabled Z-Wave devices PLEASE NOTE: To access this app, you must have an account set up with Alarm Relay.

Screenshots

Luxor® Controller4 screens
Alarm Relay4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Alarm Relay at 67% against Luxor® Controller's 26%. Alarm Relay also leads on iOS requirement (6.1 vs 17.0). Luxor® Controller's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.7) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Luxor® Controller holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Luxor® Controller has 431 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 26% of Luxor® Controller's written reviews are positive against 67% of Alarm Relay's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Luxor® Controller ships an update monthly, Alarm Relay every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and August 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Luxor® Controller versus Alarm Relay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLuxor® ControllerAlarm Relay
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (431 ratings) — better3.7 (13 ratings)
Positive reviews26.4% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings431 — better13
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.06.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHunter IndustriesAlarm Relay

Customer experience

Luxor® Controller

All ratings431 ratings
Positive77.7%
Neutral3.2%
Negative19.0%
Written reviews121 reviews
Positive26.4%
Neutral8.3%
Negative65.3%

Alarm Relay

All ratings13 ratings
Positive61.5%
Neutral7.7%
Negative30.8%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

Luxor® Controller

Reported bugs

19 issues
  • White screen on app launch
  • App crashes on login with newer iOS versions
  • Controller not found errors after updates
  • Groups reset to group 0 on app restart
  • Zombie groups that cannot be deleted
Show 14 more
  • Groups not saving to themes
  • Cloud access crashes the app
  • Themes, groups, and colors sections unresponsive
  • Power button functionality inconsistent
  • Programs disappear when app is reopened
  • Controller assignment errors
  • Manual IP address connection fails
  • Lights stuck on 24/7 after update
  • App takes minutes to load controllers and schedules
  • Color wheel function non-functional
  • Theme changes not persisting after schedule events
  • Inconsistent dimming intensity settings
  • Firmware updates breaking app connectivity
  • Loss of all groups and themes after firmware updates

Requested features

15 requests
  • Cloud-based system like irrigation controllers for remote access
  • Ability to program schedules directly from app
  • Full feature parity with physical control panel
  • Calendar-based programming for seasonal themes
  • Ability to rename programs (not just Program A, B, C)
Show 10 more
  • Multiple group selection per schedule event
  • Program priority and conflict resolution system
  • Dark mode option
  • 1Password authentication integration
  • Ability to set default theme that persists
  • Duplicate/copy themes across multiple transformers
  • Display overload warnings on app
  • Improved scheduling with time-based on/off controls
  • Better error handling and messaging
  • Desktop version for easier management

Alarm Relay

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Luxor® Controller

No in-app purchases

None

Alarm Relay

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Luxor® Controller free?
Luxor® Controller is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Alarm Relay free?
Alarm Relay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Luxor® Controller or Alarm Relay?
Luxor® Controller is rated higher. Luxor® Controller averages 4.2 out of 5 from 431 ratings, while Alarm Relay averages 3.7 from 13 ratings.
Do Luxor® Controller or Alarm Relay have ads?
Neither Luxor® Controller nor Alarm Relay shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Luxor® Controller or Alarm Relay?
Luxor® Controller ships an update monthly, and Alarm Relay every 5 months. Most recently, Luxor® Controller was updated on September 26, 2026 and Alarm Relay on August 24, 2026.

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