Escape Director vs COGS
One price for every Room, the props you already own, and analytics that show which Puzzle slows teams down.
The short answer
COGS is desktop show-control software for Mac, Windows and Linux, licensed per room and built around its own Master boxes. Escape Director runs in the browser, connects your own props directly, and covers every Room at a location for $59.99 a month.
Why owners pick Escape Director
One price, every Room
Five rooms on COGS Pro cost £275 a month. Escape Director is $59.99 for all of them.
No boxes to buy
Connect MQTT and HTTP props directly, or your Arduino with our free SDK. COGS connects Arduino through its own boxes, and only for solved and reset.
Analytics down to each Puzzle
See which Puzzle costs the most time and Clues, compare Game Masters, and ask questions in plain English.
A leaderboard for your lobby
A live leaderboard that updates the moment a team escapes, included.
Built this year. It shows.
A fast, clean Room Dashboard in any browser, on the computer you already have. Nothing to install, no license keys.
Click around the live demo, no sign-upThe scorecard
Escape Director checks all 11. COGS checks 3.
| Feature | Escape Director | COGS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $59.99/mo per location | £35–£125/mo per room |
| Runs in a web browser | Yes | PartlyRemote control only |
| Works on Mac and Windows | Yes | Yes |
| The whole game keeps running offline | Yes | Yes |
| Works with your props, no special hardware | Yes | PartlyIts own boxes or Pro |
| Free, open-source Arduino SDK | Yes | Not listed |
| Solved props start Automations | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics for each Puzzle | Yes | Not listed |
| Ask your analytics in plain English | Yes | Not listed |
| Live lobby leaderboard | Yes | Not listed |
| Unlimited Rooms on one plan | Yes | NoPriced per room |
| Free trial you start yourself | Yes | PartlyPro by request |
COGS: Billed per installation, which COGS says means per room: Plus £35, Pro £55 or Premium £125 a month. A free Lite version has fewer features. Details are from its website, checked October 2026. “Not listed” means its website does not say. Spot something out of date? Email support@escapedirector.com and we will fix it.
Ask your business anything
Type a question in plain English and get the answer from your own games, with the numbers behind it. None of the other tools on these pages offer anything like it.
- “Which Puzzle stalls teams the most this month?”
- “Which Game Master gives the most Clues?”
- “How did the new Room do in its first 50 games?”
New features every month
Escape Director is built by a team that ships every week. Here are the latest big ones.
- October 20, 2026Assistant
- October 20, 2026Team
- October 20, 2026Locations
- September 30, 2026Hardware Integration
Switch in an afternoon
Your clue list moves over as it is, and we will help you plan how each prop connects. Send us your clue list and we will set up your first Room for you, free. Run it next to COGS during your 30-day trial, then switch on a quiet day.
Questions
Escape Director checks all 11 boxes on our scorecard; COGS checks 3. The biggest differences: one price, every Room; no boxes to buy; analytics down to each Puzzle; a leaderboard for your lobby.
Yes. Escape Director runs in the browser on Windows or Mac, keeps the whole game running when the internet drops, works with the props you already own, and shows analytics down to each Puzzle, all on one plan with unlimited Rooms.
COGS: Billed per installation, which COGS says means per room: Plus £35, Pro £55 or Premium £125 a month. A free Lite version has fewer features. Escape Director: $59.99 a month or $599.99 a year per location, with unlimited Rooms and every feature included.
COGS connects Arduino and Raspberry Pi through its own Digital Master box, for solved and reset signals only, and DMX, OSC, MIDI and TCP/UDP need a Pro license. Escape Director connects MQTT and HTTP props directly, and Arduino through a free, open-source SDK.
Yes. Send us your clue list and we will set up your first Room for you, free. Run it next to COGS during the 30-day trial, then switch on a quiet day.