Comparison
LTCast vs QLab
Both can trigger timecode and drive your show — but they solve different problems. Here's how they compare on the features that matter for live timecode sync.
| Feature | LTCast | QLab 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Windows & macOS | macOS only |
| LTC output | ✓ | Timecode add-on |
| LTC input / chase | ✓ | ✗ |
| MTC output | ✓ | ✓ |
| MIDI Clock | ✓ | ✓ |
| Art-Net timecode | ✓ | ✗ |
| OSC output | ✓ | ✓ |
| Crew remote viewer | ✓ | ✗ |
| grandMA2/3 export | ✓ | ✗ |
| Timecode-only focus | ✓ | General show control |
| Price | $79 / year | $499+ one-time |
| Send to several devices at once | ✓ | ✗ |
Windows support
QLab is macOS only. If your show laptop runs Windows — a touring PC, a rented machine, or a backup box — LTCast is the only dedicated timecode player that works out of the box on both platforms.
Art-Net timecode
LTCast sends Art-Net OpTimeCode UDP
packets natively so grandMA, ChamSys, and Avolites consoles can lock to your
playback without a separate timecode bridge. QLab does not generate Art-Net
timecode packets.
LTC input / chase
LTCast can receive incoming LTC from an audio interface and slave all its downstream outputs — MTC, Art-Net, OSC — to that external master clock. That makes it the bridge layer between your analogue timecode source and a digital show-control network. QLab has no equivalent LTC-chase mode.
Price
LTCast Pro is $79 / year (or $15 for a 7-day show pass), with a free tier that keeps LTC reading, generation, dual waveform, and audio playback forever. QLab 5 is a one-time perpetual purchase — its feature licenses run roughly $499–$1,199 depending on the bundle, macOS only, with rent-to-own day rates for short runs.
When QLab is the right choice
QLab is a mature, full-featured show control suite. If you need multi-track video playback, complex audio routing, MIDI / OSC cue stacks, and tight integration with other FigureOut products — and you're on a Mac — QLab is an excellent choice. LTCast is focused: it does timecode and protocol distribution exceptionally well, and it runs on any laptop.
Try LTCast free for 30 days.
All Pro features. No credit card. Windows & macOS.