Luminair vs Tentacle Setup
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Luminair
This professional lighting control platform offers advanced DMX and smart light management for designers, filmmakers, musicians, and artists. It supports multiple DMX universes, RDM, and HomeKit integration, allowing for complex scene creation and playback.
- Multi-universe DMX control
- RDM support
- Apple HomeKit integration
- Fixture Cloud library
- DMX FX Engine
- Sound Active mode
- Luminair Remote for Apple Watch
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Luminair is a professional-grade lighting control platform that gives lighting designers, filmmakers and TV professionals, musicians, artists and other enthusiasts advanced control over DMX-enabled lights, as well as "Smart" lights via Apple HomeKit. Control any light... Luminair's Fixture Cloud library contains over 30,000 fixture profiles. Luminair 4 adds a wide range of user-requested features like multi-universe support, RDM support, user interface improvements, Universal Search, support for Apple HomeKit, and so much more. Move beyond the lighting console! Join us and see why Luminair has been setting the standard for mobile lighting control since 2008! Access all iPadOS, iOS, and macOS versions under a single subscription plan. Try it FREE for 2 weeks, with all features unlocked, and no obligation. See offer details below. Highlights: - 1 to 4 DMX Universes (512-2048 Channels, depending on Subscription level) - 1 Art-Net DMX Input Universe for creating Snapshot scene recordings from another lighting console - RDM Support over Art-Net - Works with any Art-Net or sACN E1.31 compliant DMX interface - Transmits Art-Net, sACN E1.31, and/or and KiNET over built-in Wi-Fi hardware - Supports DMX over Bluetooth with LumenRadio BLE CRMX devices, MoonLite and TimoTwo - Supports wired ethernet with 3rd-party adapters - Advanced document viewer allows you to save projects in iCloud, 3rd-party services like Creative Cloud and Dropbox, plus external disks and flash drives - LTP faders with fully-configurable scene parameters - DMX FX Engine with a Movement generator, Oscillator, Color Looping, Random Color/Intensity and more - Palette/preset based movement system allows you to control and edit movements of multiple moving lights together in unison - Sequences allow you to play back scenes with customized fade and hold times - Sound Active mode allows for music controlled light shows using the built-in microphone, or external sound sources - Innovative tap-to-bump gesture allows you to quickly bump the levels of a scene while holding it's button, releasing those levels when let go - Supports simultaneous control of DMX and HomeKit lights in the same project - Touch ID powered Lockdown mode allows you to lock specific parts of the Luminair user interface - Includes Luminair Remote for Apple Watch (on iPhone devices) - Supports various external control methods as MIDI, MIDI over Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi, Geofences, OSC Input - Additional support for 4 Universes, Scheduling, DMX Input Triggers, iBeacons, MSC, MTC, and HomeKit Button Triggers available with Luminair Pro Subscription - 64-bit app with a scalable UI that uses the latest Apple technologies like iCloud, Core Animation, Core MIDI and more Please visit us at https://luminair.app for full details. IMPORTANT: Luminair requires external DMX or HomeKit hardware to control lights, but can also be used in an "offline" mode for building projects and as a learning tool. Access Luminair Standard or Luminair Pro with monthly or annual subscriptions. You will be automatically billed through Apple every 30 days for monthly subscriptions or every 365 days for yearly subscriptions until you cancel your subscription. The first billing will occur after the one-time free trial period of 2 weeks. Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your subscription can be managed and the auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the App Store Account Settings after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Any unused portion of the free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription during the free trial period. Privacy Policy: https://luminair.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://luminair.app/terms
Tentacle Setup
This app allows you to control Tentacle SYNC E, TRACK E, and TIMEBAR devices via Bluetooth. It facilitates setting, syncing, and recording timecode for professional audio and video workflows. Simply turn on Bluetooth and follow the on-screen instructions to manage your devices.
- Device control via Bluetooth
- Set, sync, and record timecode
- Manage SYNC E, TRACK E, and TIMEBAR
- Intuitive on-screen instructions
- Streamlined workflow management
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Set. Sync. Record. Manage your Tentacle SYNC E timecode generator, TRACK E timecode audio recorder and TIMEBAR timecode display. Just turn on Bluetooth and follow the instructions. Have fun working with your Tentacles! Questions or suggestions? Contact us via support@tentaclesync.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Luminair at 4.6 against Tentacle Setup's 3.9. Luminair also leads on ratings volume (1.2K vs 14). Tentacle Setup's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (53% vs 36%). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Luminair sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Tentacle Setup asks for nothing beyond the download.
Luminair holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Luminair has 1.2K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 36% of Luminair's written reviews are positive against 53% of Tentacle Setup's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Luminair ships an update fortnightly, Tentacle Setup every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Luminair | Tentacle Setup |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (1.2K ratings) — better | 3.9 (14 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 36.2% of reviews | 52.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.2K — better | 14 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 4 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.7 GB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Synthe FX, LLC | Tentacle Sync GmbH |
Customer experience
Luminair
Tentacle Setup
Bugs and requests
Luminair
Reported bugs
3 issues- Scenes not loading properly
- Ethernet connectivity problems
- Unexpected settings changes during use
Requested features
4 requests- Allow one-time purchase option
- Improve fixture profile management
- Add more advanced effects and animation
- Enhance multi-device/project workflow
Tentacle Setup
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Luminair
- Luminair Standard Monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Luminair Pro Monthly14 Days trial$19.991 Month
- Luminair Standard Yearly14 Days trial$99.991 Year
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- Luminair Pro Yearly14 Days trial$199.991 Year
Tentacle Setup
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Luminair free?
Is Tentacle Setup free?
Which has better reviews, Luminair or Tentacle Setup?
Do Luminair or Tentacle Setup have ads?
Which is updated more often, Luminair or Tentacle Setup?
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