Looking for a Bitfocus Companion alternative? Both tools let you control broadcast and AV gear from buttons and a Stream Deck. Here is an honest, feature-by-feature comparison so you can pick the right one for your production.
First, credit where it is due. Bitfocus Companion is an excellent, free and open-source project with a huge community, and for many Stream Deck setups it is all you need. Fantago is a different proposition: a commercial product built to do more out of the box — faster setup, a visual panel builder, AI-assisted handlers, smart home control and direct support. This page explains where Fantago adds value over a free tool.
How the two compare on the things that matter for live production and AV control.
| Feature | Fantago | Bitfocus Companion |
|---|---|---|
| Overview & pricing | ||
| Price | € 99 one-time license, 60-day free trial | Free, open-source |
| Primary focus | Full device orchestration hub — unifies control, automation and monitoring of broadcast and AV devices, with Stream Deck and browser-based panels | Open-source control software for production workflows, integrating with Stream Deck and other control surfaces |
| Panels & control surfaces | ||
| Virtual control panels | ✓ Free-form designer — place buttons, labels and live timers anywhere; runs standalone in any browser | ● Fixed grid of buttons; text labels supported, no free-form layout |
| Elgato Stream Deck | ✓ Native integration with dynamic feedback | ✓ Native, core use case |
| Multi-panel navigation | ✓ Desktop index page collects all panels; switch pages instantly with the mouse wheel | ● Web view shows all pages at once but can't follow in-panel page navigation |
| Mobile / app experience | ✓ Mobile index installs to the home screen like an app; page-lock prevents accidental presses; swipe to change pages | ● Web buttons work on mobile; add-to-home-screen has known issues, no page-lock |
| Production timers | ✓ Built-in graphical timers — size them for dedicated control-room screens, with multiple notification points that trigger actions | ● Countdown / stopwatch via add-on modules; shown on buttons or a basic web page, no free-form sizing |
| Devices & integrations | ||
| Custom device handlers | ✓ AI generates the exact handler you need — even for gear no module covers yet | ● 700+ ready modules; unsupported gear needs a hand-written JavaScript module |
| AI assistant | ✓ Built-in AI to help configure and build handlers | Not available |
| Protocols | ✓ TCP, UDP, OSC, HTTP/REST, WebSocket | ✓ Wide protocol coverage via modules |
| Smart home / IoT | ✓ Built-in Shelly support (Gen 1/2/3) and generic IoT | ✓ Dedicated Shelly modules (WebSocket & HTTP) |
| Automation & logic | ||
| Logic & automation | ✓ Variables, sequences and time-based scheduling | ✓ Triggers, conditions and variables |
| Visual logic builder | ✓ Node-based Logic Flow editor — chain conditions, loops and device interactions visually | Rule-based triggers only, no visual flow editor |
| External file triggers | ✓ Reads event rundowns / playlists from files produced by other systems | Not natively (open community feature request) |
| Data-driven automation | ✓ Network triggers parse incoming JSON / XML with regex and rules to drive complex automations | ● Generic HTTP module extracts JSON via JSONPath into variables; no XML or rule/regex engine |
| Reliability & support | ||
| Device health monitoring | ✓ Monitors configured devices and emails you when one goes offline — and again when it recovers | ● Visual connection status in the admin UI; no email or offline alerting |
| Support | ✓ Dedicated vendor support | Community forums and Slack |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi | Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi |
Comparison compiled in good faith from publicly available information. Companion is a fast-moving open-source project — verify current capabilities on the official Bitfocus website. Bitfocus and Companion are trademarks of their respective owners; Fantago is not affiliated with or endorsed by Bitfocus.
You want a free, open-source tool, your setup is centered on a Stream Deck, the devices you need are already covered by existing modules, and you are comfortable relying on community support and the occasional bit of configuration work.
You want a free-form panel designer with labels and timers, an installable mobile app experience, a visual node-based logic builder, data-driven automation from external JSON/XML feeds or rundown files, device health monitoring with email alerts, AI help for gear no module covers, and direct vendor support — all for a one-time license with no subscription.
Yes. Fantago covers the same core need — controlling and automating broadcast and AV devices from buttons, panels and a Stream Deck — and adds a visual panel builder, AI-assisted custom device handlers, smart home control and dedicated support.
Yes, Companion is free and open-source. Fantago is a commercial product with a one-time license of € 99 and a 60-day free trial, with no subscription.
Fantago is for teams that value a faster setup, a drag-and-drop panel builder, AI help to create handlers for unsupported equipment, native smart home integration and direct vendor support instead of community-only help. If those matter to your production, the one-time license pays for itself in saved setup time.
Yes. Fantago has native Stream Deck integration with dynamic button feedback, and it also lets you build browser-based virtual panels that run without any dedicated hardware.