Luminair vs Blackout Lighting Console
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
Blackout Lighting Console
This professional lighting console app offers an intuitive interface and powerful effects engine for controlling DMX, Art-Net, and sACN lighting setups. It features a vast cloud fixture database, custom fixture creation, and advanced control options for seamless lighting design and execution.
- Cloud Fixture Database
- Custom Fixture Creation
- Streamlined Fixture Patching
- Intuitive Fixture Controls
- Multi-Cuelist Platform
- Dynamic Effects Engine
- Advanced MIDI Support
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Blackout is a revolutionary professional Art-Net/sACN DMX Lighting Console app for the iPad. Redefine your lighting with our incredibly intuitive interface and powerful effects engine. Features: - Cloud Fixture Database: Access over 44,000 fixture profiles licensed from Carallon, the leader in fixture profile services. - Create Custom Fixtures: Utilize our Fixture Creation Wizard to design your own profiles, perfectly matching your specific lighting needs. - Fixture Patching Made Simple: Effortlessly categorize and label LED fixtures with a streamlined Patch interface, ideal for batch management. - Intuitive Fixture Controls: Adjust parameters with ease in Fixture Controls and experience our NEW multi-dimensional color picker. - Robust Multi-Cuelist Platform: Organize and save lighting looks within Sequences, complete with customizable fade times, delays, and links. - Presets for Quick Access: Save and recall fixture parameters instantly, streamlining batch changes across multiple fixtures through our Favorites. - Dynamic Effects Engine: Explore limitless creative possibilities with our advanced Effects Engine, featuring intensity chases, color loops, and more. - Macro Functionality: Simplify complex lighting tasks into single-button actions for maximum efficiency. - Enhanced Data Visibility: Experience our reworked UI with new view states for displaying data in various formats, aiding quicker analysis and decision-making. - Advanced MIDI Support (Input & Output): Gain tactile control over your lighting with MIDI compatibility, suitable for both wired and wireless controllers.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Blackout Lighting Console at 76% against Luminair's 36%. Blackout Lighting Console also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Luminair's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 5) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Luminair sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Blackout Lighting Console sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Blackout Lighting Console holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Luminair has 1.2K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Luminair's written reviews are positive against 76% of Blackout Lighting Console's.
Luminair ships an update fortnightly, Blackout Lighting Console monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and July 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Luminair | Blackout Lighting Console |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (1.2K ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 36.2% of reviews | 76.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.2K — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.7 GB | 398 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Synthe FX, LLC | Blackout Lighting Console Inc. |
Customer experience
Luminair
Blackout Lighting Console
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
Blackout Lighting Console
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
Blackout Lighting Console
- Basic Plan$799.99
Questions
Is Luminair free?
Is Blackout Lighting Console free?
Which has better reviews, Luminair or Blackout Lighting Console?
Do Luminair or Blackout Lighting Console have ads?
Which is updated more often, Luminair or Blackout Lighting Console?
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