# L.E.D. Lab vs Photon

L.E.D. Lab and Photon both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 81% of L.E.D. Lab's written reviews are positive against 42% of Photon's. L.E.D. Lab also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and device support (3 vs 1). Photon's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (10 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. L.E.D. Lab sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Photon sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

L.E.D. Lab holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of L.E.D. Lab's written reviews are positive against 42% of Photon's.

L.E.D. Lab ships an update every 4 months, Photon every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | L.E.D. Lab | Photon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/led-lab/id832042156/reviews)** | [4.4 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photon-dmx-light-controller/id1198023297/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 15 | **27** |
| Positive reviews | **81.3% of reviews** | 41.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 23 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **10** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Christopher Schardt](https://appshunter.io/developer/352273485) | [Photon Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/449592177) |

## What reviewers say

### L.E.D. Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/led-lab/id832042156)

Create dynamic visual experiences for LED displays without custom programming. Animate images, videos, and particles, and synchronize them with music or external audio inputs. Ideal for artists, designers, and hobbyists looking to add animated color to various projects.

**Highlights:** Create and animate scenes with images, videos, and camera feeds, Animate particle color, velocity, and brightness for LED strips, Synchronize visuals with music from your library, Audio reactivity for parameter control, External control via MIDI, DMX, ArtNet, OSC, Color keying and tiling for advanced compositing, Supports various LED controllers and external monitors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Live Microphone | $9.99 | one-time |
| Live Video | $9.99 | one-time |
| LED Display | $19.99 | one-time |
| External Control | $19.99 | one-time |
| Music | $19.99 | one-time |
| External Screen | $39.99 | one-time |
| Authoring | $49.99 | one-time |
| LED Artist Pack | $59.99 | one-time |
| VJ Pack | $79.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Mapping | $84.99 | one-time |
| Everything Pack | $209.99 | one-time |


### Photon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photon-dmx-light-controller/id1198023297)

Control DMX lighting wirelessly for events, clubs, and theaters. Create sequences, synchronize lights to music with beat tracking, and manage fixtures with a user-friendly interface. Offers advanced features via in-app purchase.

**Highlights:** Wireless Art-Net/sACN DMX control, Multi-touch interface optimized for iPad, Light group management, Scene and animation creation, Beat tracker for music synchronization, Fixture database and creator, Sequencer with timeline editing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Light Sequencer | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is L.E.D. Lab free?

L.E.D. Lab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Photon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, L.E.D. Lab or Photon?

L.E.D. Lab is rated higher. L.E.D. Lab averages 4.6 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Photon averages 4.4 from 27 ratings.

### Do L.E.D. Lab or Photon have ads?

Neither L.E.D. Lab nor Photon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, L.E.D. Lab or Photon?

L.E.D. Lab ships an update every 4 months, and Photon every 6 weeks. Most recently, L.E.D. Lab was updated on October 2, 2026 and Photon on September 17, 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.*