# FlareCON vs AsteraNext

The clearest difference is rating: AsteraNext at 2.3 against FlareCON's 1.2. AsteraNext also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 10%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). FlareCON's advantage is ratings volume (73 vs 8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

AsteraNext holds the better App Store score, 2.3 against 1.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FlareCON has 73 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of FlareCON's written reviews are positive against 50% of AsteraNext's.

FlareCON ships an update every 4 months, AsteraNext every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and August 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FlareCON | AsteraNext |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.2 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flarecon/id890903885/reviews) | **[2.3 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asteranext/id1628086599/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **73** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 10.3% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 68 MB | 166 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chauvet Professional](https://appshunter.io/developer/1364133122) | [Astera LED Technology GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1367867799) |

## What reviewers say

### FlareCON

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flarecon/id890903885)

Control lighting fixtures wirelessly with dynamic scene creation. Easily manage effects, group lights, and save/load shows for events. Designed for the FlareCON Air 2 hardware.

**Highlights:** Dynamic scene creation, Create effects like Fade, Flicker, Paparazzi, Find my Light, Grouping fixtures, Master commands, Export and import shows

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Color mixing and customization features
- 📱 Wireless control convenience
- 👍 User-friendly interface (older versions)
- 🔌 Easy connection to fixtures (when working)
- 💾 Scene/preset storage capability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connectivity failures
- 😤 Non-intuitive user interface
- ⚠️ Incompatible with older FlareCON devices
- 🔄 Unreliable app performance
- 📉 Significant regression from previous version

**Reported bugs**

- App does not connect to FlareCON Air/Air 1/Air 2
- Connection drops after phone powers down
- Auto channel selector not functioning
- Presets not saving between sessions
- Shows randomly disappearing/being deleted

**Requested features**

- Restore previous app version (2.0/1.0)
- Add fade, pulse, strobe, and chase effects
- Sound activation mode
- More than 9 programmable buttons/scenes
- Individual fixture addressing


### AsteraNext

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asteranext/id1628086599)

Control complex lighting setups with intuitive tools for creating custom programs and effects. Manage DMX addresses, diagnose and update fixtures, and ensure seamless runtime for your productions.

**Highlights:** Intuitive lighting control, Customizable programs and effects, DMX address and footprint setup, Fixture diagnosis and updates, Layer effects for pixel control, Scheduled standby mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FlareCON free?

FlareCON is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is AsteraNext free?

AsteraNext is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FlareCON or AsteraNext?

AsteraNext is rated higher. FlareCON averages 1.2 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while AsteraNext averages 2.3 from 8 ratings.

### Do FlareCON or AsteraNext have ads?

Neither FlareCON nor AsteraNext shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FlareCON or AsteraNext?

FlareCON ships an update every 4 months, and AsteraNext every 3 weeks. Most recently, FlareCON was updated on September 20, 2026 and AsteraNext on August 2, 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.*