The Best Lighting Design Software in 2026
We researched lighting design software using vendors’ official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Rankings focus on each product’s core design and visualization job, value for money, and features verified in vendor materials. Compare tools for live production, venue planning, and architectural lighting design.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
Vectorworks Spotlight#1 of 289.2/10An end-to-end CAD workflow for lighting design, from drafting to DMX previsualization.
-
Runner-up
DIALux#2 of 288.8/10A Windows lighting design tool with a free core and paid BIM and export features.
Free plan · paid from €19.99/mo · 30-day trial
-
Top-ranked free plan
Augment3d#4 of 287.9/10A free Eos-linked 3D preview tool for cue looks, fixture focus and positioning.
Free plan
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The full ranking 28 tools, best first
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Best forLighting designers needing an end-to-end CAD workflow
An end-to-end CAD workflow for lighting design, from drafting to DMX previsualization.
- Plot & paperwork
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Vectorworks -
Best forLighting designers working to standards across project types
A Windows lighting design tool with a free core and paid BIM and export features.
Free plan · paid from €19.99/mo · 30-day trial Our DIALux verdict → Visit DIALuxFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #2 · $99/mo →8.8/10★★★★☆Visit DIALux -
Best forPrevisualizing production lighting before load-in
A console-connected 3D workspace for reviewing production lighting before load-in.
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Vectorworks -
Best forETC Eos users previewing cues in a 3D venue
A free Eos-linked 3D preview tool for cue looks, fixture focus and positioning.
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit ETC -
Best forFree architectural lighting simulation and planning
Free Windows software for lighting, daylight, sensor and emergency-planning workflows.
- Plot & paperwork
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit ReluxDesktop -
Best forProduction teams needing plots and live visualization
A desktop lighting-design tool linking plots and paperwork with live visualization.
- Plot & paperwork
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Capture -
Best forProduction designers wanting CAD, paperwork and previz
Windows CAD and paperwork with 3D visualization and console features by tier.
- Plot & paperwork
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit WYSIWYG -
Best forPhotometric lighting calculations and reports
AGi32 pairs photometric analysis with CAD exchange, 3D rendering and reports.
- Plot & paperwork
- 3D visualization
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit AGi32 -
Best forCollaborative lighting calculations
A collaborative lighting design tool with electric-light and daylight calculations.
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit LightStanza -
Best forTechnical lighting analysis with open-source tools
A free, cross-platform suite for detailed lighting analysis, rendering and animation.
7.7/10★★★★☆Explore Radiance -
Best forFree DMX visualization inside Blender
A capable free DMX visualizer for Blender, with live preview and scene exchange.
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit BlenderDMX -
Best forLarge productions needing multi-discipline visualization
A Windows-based 3D show visualizer with lighting, video, laser and stage-design tools.
- Plot & paperwork
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit LIGHTCONVERSE -
Best forComplex multimedia shows with live 3D visualization
A Windows desktop suite for visualizing and programming complex multimedia shows.
- Plot & paperwork
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit Depence -
Best forWindows users needing real-time stage visualization
A Windows lighting design tool with real-time 3D visualization and tiered one-time licenses.
- Plot & paperwork
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit L8 -
Best forUnreal-based stage and lighting previsualization
An Unreal Engine plugin for real-time stage visualization and lighting-data workflows.
- Plot & paperwork
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit SuperStage -
Best forTheater teams creating plots and set-change paperwork
A browser-based tool for theatre teams to plan sets, lighting looks and production paperwork.
- Plot & paperwork
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit Setplot -
Best forAffordable collaborative plots and console patch exports
A browser-based plot editor with collaboration and console patch exports on Pro.
- Plot & paperwork
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit LuminaPlot -
Best forProduction teams managing fixtures, power and paperwork
A focused toolkit for fixture data, power planning and production paperwork—not visualization.
- Plot & paperwork
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit BeamSync -
Best forTeams managing lighting inventories and production paperwork
A production workflow tool for lighting paperwork, inventory, power and cable planning.
- Plot & paperwork
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Lightwright -
Best forDocumenting fixture focus and cue details
A desktop tool for fixture-focus records, cue notes and lighting-rig management.
- Plot & paperwork
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit FocusTrack -
Best forPhotometric analysis of interior and exterior spaces
A focused lighting design tool with radiosity analysis, daylight inputs and DWG/DXF exchange.
- 3D visualization
6.5/10★★★☆☆Try Visual Lighting -
Best forUnreal users needing ray-traced lighting visualization
A focused Unreal Engine workflow for ray-traced lighting, fixture patching, and DMX control.
- Plot & paperwork
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit site -
Best forFree Windows visualization of live Art-Net and laser shows
A focused Windows visualizer for live Art-Net lighting and IDN laser streams.
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit Beamplex -
Best forLow-cost Windows lighting plots and schedules
Windows lighting CAD for fixture layouts, production paperwork, and DXF exchange.
- Plot & paperwork
- 3D visualization
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit SoftPlot -
Best forSolo and small lighting designers on macOS
LXFree pairs editable lighting plots with reports generated from plot data.
- Plot & paperwork
5.9/10★★★☆☆Visit LXFree -
Best forMac-based live control of small lighting rigs
A macOS live-control tool with cue building, fixture preview and DMX output.
- Plot & paperwork
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
5.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Lightkey -
Best forGrandMA3 users previewing fixtures and show output
A free desktop option for grandMA3 show preparation and 3D preview, with DMX output tied to hardware.
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
5.7/10★★★☆☆Visit MA Lighting -
Best forVJs previewing pixel-mapped stage content
A Windows tool for previewing pixel-mapped visuals in imported 3D stages.
- Live previsualization
- 3D visualization
5.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Visuals Market
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | 3D visualization | Plot & paperwork | Live previsualization | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vectorworks Spotlight | No | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.2 |
| 2 | DIALux | Yes | — | — | — | — | 8.8 |
| 3 | Vectorworks Vision | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | 8.7 |
| 4 | Augment3d | Yes | None | Yes | — | Yes | 7.9 |
| 5 | ReluxDesktop | Yes | None | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
| 6 | Capture | No | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
| 7 | WYSIWYG | No | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
| 8 | AGi32 | No | — | Yes | Yes | — | 7.9 |
| 9 | LightStanza | Yes | $26.25/mo | Yes | — | Yes | 7.8 |
| 10 | Radiance | Yes | None | — | — | — | 7.7 |
| 11 | BlenderDMX | Yes | None | Yes | No | Yes | 7.6 |
| 12 | LIGHTCONVERSE | No | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.5 |
| 13 | Depence | No | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.4 |
| 14 | L8 | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.2 |
| 15 | SuperStage | No | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.1 |
| 16 | Setplot | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.0 |
| 17 | LuminaPlot | Yes | — | No | Yes | No | 6.9 |
| 18 | BeamSync | Yes | $12/mo | No | Yes | No | 6.8 |
| 19 | Lightwright | No | — | — | Yes | — | 6.7 |
| 20 | FocusTrack | No | — | No | Yes | No | 6.6 |
| 21 | Visual Lighting | No | — | Yes | — | — | 6.5 |
| 22 | Carbon for Unreal | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6.4 |
| 23 | Beamplex Visualizer | Yes | None | Yes | No | Yes | 6.2 |
| 24 | SoftPlot | No | $9.99/mo | Yes | Yes | — | 6.0 |
| 25 | LXFree | Yes | None | No | Yes | — | 5.9 |
| 26 | Lightkey | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | 5.8 |
| 27 | grandMA3 onPC | Yes | None | Yes | — | Yes | 5.7 |
| 28 | VJ Previz | — | — | Yes | No | Yes | 5.6 |
Head-to-head All 28 comparisons →
- Vectorworks Spotlight vs DIALux
- Vectorworks Spotlight vs Vectorworks Vision
- Vectorworks Spotlight vs Augment3d
- Vectorworks Spotlight vs ReluxDesktop
- Vectorworks Spotlight vs Capture
- Vectorworks Spotlight vs WYSIWYG
- Vectorworks Spotlight vs AGi32
- DIALux vs Vectorworks Vision
- DIALux vs Augment3d
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How we rank lighting design software
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update