The best free projection mapping apps on iOS
Free projection mapping apps for iPhone and iPad compared: what each free tier actually includes, and which app fits which kind of project.
By Lazy Lighting · Updated
Projection mapping on iOS has matured to the point where the free options are genuinely usable, not just demos. The apps below all map real surfaces from an iPhone or iPad without payment; they differ in what the free tier includes and in what the app is fundamentally built for.
Full disclosure: we build Lazy Lighting, one of the apps in this list. We have tried to keep the comparison factual; pricing details reflect the App Store listings at the time of writing and can change.
Feature comparison
Competitor columns are based on each app's public store listing and documentation at the time of writing; features and pricing change, so check the current listings before deciding.
| Feature | Lazy Lighting | MadMapper (desktop) | Optoma Projection Mapper | DynaMapper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Available on mobile | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Save and load projects | Pro | Paid app | Paid app | Paid app |
| Visual library | 100+ built-in | Yes | No | No |
| Custom mapping shapes | Yes | Yes | Basic | Basic |
| Smart shape detection | Pro | No | No | No |
| Transparent PNG shapes | Pro | Yes | No | No |
| Outline shapes | Pro | No | No | No |
| Frame-by-frame animations | Yes | No | No | No |
| Live video input | Pro | Yes | No | No |
| Custom images and shapes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Images only |
| Timeline | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Scenes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Audio reactive | Pro | Yes | No | No |
| Editable visual parameters | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Lazy Lighting
Lazy Lighting approaches mapping from the live-visuals side. Shapes are mapped onto real objects and filled with content: quads, circles, cubes, text, outline shapes, transparent PNG cutouts and fully custom shapes, with smart shape detection to pull a mappable shape straight out of a photo. Content comes from a library of over 100 generative visuals, your own images and videos, live video input or frame-by-frame drawn animations.
Shows are organised into scenes and sequenced on a timeline, and everything can react to sound: visuals lock to a set BPM or follow the room's audio, and any visual parameter can be edited live or driven by LFOs and MIDI. The mapping tools and visual engine are free; Pro adds saving and loading projects, audio reactivity, smart shape detection, transparent PNG and outline shapes, and live video input. Connections cover HDMI, AirPlay, Chromecast, Miracast and Android TV projectors via the Lazy Lighting Link receiver app.
See what it does →HeavyM Remote
Free on the App Store, but a companion rather than a standalone tool: it remote-controls HeavyM running on a Mac or PC. Worth having if you already use HeavyM on the desktop; not a way to map from the phone itself.
Paid apps worth knowing about
- DynaMapper is a long-standing iPad mapping app for images and animations with keystone and mesh warping. Capable but dated, and updates have been sparse.
- Optoma Projection Mapper covers straightforward video and photo playback onto pinned surfaces. Simple and reliable if your content is pre-rendered.
- TouchViZ is an iPad VJ tool with mapping features, aimed at live performance mixing more than mapping itself.
- MadMapper is the desktop industry standard on macOS and Windows, included in the table above for reference. Deep and powerful, but it is a computer-based workflow at a professional licence price, not a mobile app.
Which one to pick
- The deepest feature set on mobile — visuals, scenes, timeline, audio reactivity: Lazy Lighting.
- You already run HeavyM on a computer: HeavyM Remote.
- Pre-rendered video onto surfaces, budget for a one-time purchase: Optoma Projection Mapper or DynaMapper.