A factual, feature-by-feature comparison against the most common alternatives. We believe the specs speak for themselves.
The products most often evaluated alongside DMX Core 100 for permanent installations. Cross-shopping a specific product? See our dedicated guides: CueServer alternative · Enttec S-Play alternative · CueCore3 alternative · Pharos LPC alternative.
| Feature | DMX Core 100 | CueServer 3 | Enttec S-Play | CueCore3 | Pharos LPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $599 SW (800 universes) $399 SW (8 universes) · $999 HW |
$1,599 | $2,300 | $2,990 | $2,000+ |
| Max Universes | 800 | 32 | 32 | 4 (32 max) | 1–100 |
| Software-Only Option | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Touchscreen Hardware | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Web UI | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| ArtNet | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| sACN (E1.31) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| KiNet | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| OSC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| MQTT | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| REST API | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MIDI | ✓ | ✓ via SM-MIDI module (Flex/Pro) | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Q-SYS / Symetrix | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Stream Deck | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Cloud Remote Access | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Timeline Editor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-in Effects | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Record & Playback | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Synchronized Audio | ✓ all models | ✓ CS-3150 and above | — | — | — |
| Multi-User / Roles | 24 permissions | — | — | — | ✓ web UI user levels |
| Scripting | JavaScript | CueScript | — | Task engine | Lua |
| Plugins & Open SDK | ✓ one-click install from built-in registry; maintained, tested plugins instead of hand-written scripts; open .NET SDK | First-party plugins only | — | — | — |
| Sunrise/Sunset Scheduling | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Competitor specs are based on publicly available product documentation and may change. Always confirm current details with the manufacturer. DMX Core prices set out or referred to on this page are recommended prices only, and there is no obligation to comply with the recommendation.
DMX Core 100 is a playback and show-control platform. It is not a replacement for the desk or the app you design on, and we do not pitch it as one. Those tools are what you program the look on; DMX Core 100 records what they put on the wire and runs it afterwards. A source is a source, whether it is a £80,000 console or a laptop app.
grandMA, ETC Eos, Hog, ChamSys, Avolites, Onyx — anything that outputs Art-Net, sACN, DMX-512 or KiNet. Because the capture happens at the protocol level rather than by importing a show file, no console is a special case and none is unsupported.
Lightkey, Luminair, Blackout, QLC+ and similar. Program and busk the show the way you already do. We also read Lightkey and Daslight fixture profiles directly, so the patch comes across with it.
Madrix, MadMapper, Resolume and Lightjams author pixel-mapped and video content that would be impractical to program by hand. DMX Core 100 records their output and replays it without the authoring machine present.
That relationship takes two shapes, and both are normal. In an integration, the console or the media server stays in the venue and DMX Core 100 runs alongside it — handling schedules, zones and the everyday looks, with the desk still there for the nights that need it. In standalone execution, the show is captured once and the source goes home; the install keeps running the recorded cues on its own, for years, with no license for the original software and no PC to babysit.
One honest exception: Nicolaudie's Sunlite Suite and its Easy Stand Alone mode do overlap with what DMX Core 100 does, so that one is a genuine cross-shop rather than a source. It is compared directly on the record and playback DMX page.
Most standalone controllers in this price range top out at 2–32 universes. DMX Core 100 software is $599 for up to 800 universes, or $399 if eight is all you need.
The only product that offers identical software as a desktop app (Win/Mac/Linux) and on dedicated touchscreen hardware. No other competitor matches this flexibility.
OSC, MQTT, REST API, Q-SYS, Symetrix, Home Assistant, MIDI, Stream Deck, Key Digital — plus cloud tunnel for remote access. Most competitors support only a subset, and only DMX Core lets anyone add integrations as plugins with an open SDK. And where other controllers leave integrations to Lua or CueScript that the installer writes, tests by hand, and owns for the life of the install, DMX Core ships them as maintained, versioned plugins with automated test suites that update themselves.
Scheduling, input triggers across 6+ protocols, output events, and custom menus. Designed for installations that run themselves.
Explore the full feature set or get started with a software license today.