Art-Net vs sACN (E1.31)
Art-Net vs sACN — Which Protocol Should You Use?
Two protocols dominate DMX-over-Ethernet. Here’s how they compare.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Art-Net | sACN (E1.31) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Proprietary (Artistic Licence) | ANSI E1.31 (ESTA) |
| Transport | UDP (broadcast or unicast) | UDP (multicast) |
| Max universes | 32,768 (Art-Net 4) | 63,999 |
| IPv6 | ❌ | ✅ (E1.31-2025) |
| Priority | None | 0-200 per universe |
| Wireshark support | ✅ | ✅ |
When to Use Each
- You need the widest hardware compatibility (used by WLED, Falcon, MADRIX, etc.)
- Small to medium network (< 10 controllers)
- Broadcast is acceptable or desired
- You’re in a mixed ecosystem (Art-Net is the “lingua franca”)
Adoption Rate
| Ecosystem | Art-Net | sACN |
|---|---|---|
| WLED | ✅ | ✅ |
| Falcon controllers | ✅ | ✅ |
| QuinLED | ✅ | ✅ (Dig-Octa) |
| Advatek PixLite | ✅ | ✅ |
| ENTTEC | ✅ | ✅ |
| MADRIX | ✅ | ✅ |
| Resolume | ✅ | ✅ |
| QLC+ | ✅ | ✅ |
| xLights | ✅ | ✅ |
Real-World Recommendation
For most pixel LED installations, use Art-Net. It’s simpler (no IGMP needed, no multicast configuration), and both protocols have identical hardware support. Switch to sACN only if you’re building a very large network (50+ controllers) or have a specific requirement for standards compliance.