So I bought my first off-camera flash trigger back in 2018. It was a Godox X1T (the old school one with the chunky plastic feel) and honestly I didn't think much about it – just wanted my speedlight off the camera. Fast forward to last month and I'm sitting in my living room with three different triggers on the desk in front of me. The Profoto Connect Pro, the Godox X3, and the Westcott FJ-X3 M. All three are the flagship triggers from each brand as of right now in 2026. All three of them basically do the same job. So which one do you actually want?
That's the question I keep getting in DMs and emails so I figured I'd just write it down properly. This isn't one of those sponsored comparison pieces where everything's a "great option depending on your needs." I'm gonna tell you what each one is actually like to live with, where they fall apart, and which I'd buy if I could only keep one.
The Profoto Connect Pro ($399)
Let me start with the expensive one because honestly that's the one everyone asks about first. The Connect Pro is Profoto's big push to modernize their remote system. It has a beautiful color screen (the best in this comparison, hands down), it shows you actual flash power output in numbers (so you know if your B10 is at 5.0 or 7.3, not just "relative"), and it runs on 3 AAA batteries which I know sounds old-school but in the field is amazing because AAs are everywhere.
What I like: the screen is gorgeous. I shot a corporate headshot last week with two B10Xs and a small softbox and I could actually see both power levels on the trigger at once. That's something the older Air Remote TTL couldn't do. Build quality is exactly what you'd expect from Profoto – feels like a small piece of jewelry. Bluetooth firmware updates via the iOS app work without you having to plug the trigger into a computer, which sounds small but in 2026 is the kind of thing that matters.
What I don't like: $399. For a trigger. Even the Canon/Nikon/Sony-specific versions that have full TTL and HSS. If you're not already deep into the Profoto ecosystem (B10, B10X, C1, Pro-11) then the headline feature of showing actual power output literally does not work for you. Older Profoto lights (D1, D2, B1, A1, A1X) show relative values only. Two-way comms isn't great either – if I crank the modeling lamp on the back of the B10, the trigger doesn't always update. Patrick Hall at Fstoppers wrote about this issue and he's right, it's annoying. Also? No USB-C. Three AAA batteries only.
The Godox X3 ($89-99 depending on camera mount)
If the Profoto is the Mercedes, the Godox X3 is a Toyota with surprisingly good leather seats. It's a tiny OLED touchscreen trigger (yes, touchscreen, which sounds gimmicky but actually works really well) that weighs about 48 grams. The thing is shockingly small – I had to triple-check the box wasn't missing pieces.
What I like: the touchscreen is genuinely responsive. Swiping through groups feels like using a phone. Two-way TCM conversion (TTL to Manual) is great for when the camera's metering lies to you and you need to lock in a manual value. Battery life is wild – 6600 flashes per charge via the built-in lithium battery that charges over USB-C in about two hours. I left it on a shelf for a week with the trigger on standby and it still had 80% when I picked it up. Wireless range is rated at 100m and that's about what I get in real-world use.
What I don't like: the touchscreen is a touchscreen. If you're shooting in -10°C with gloves on, you're fumbling. The side buttons help but you have to deliberately remember they exist. Also Godox's X system is mature – everyone in your local photography meetup probably has Godox gear – which is great until you realize that means you're competing with their channel selection at multi-photographer events. The new X3Pro at $99 adds bigger screen and 16-group control, which I haven't tested yet. I want to though, because if it lives up to the spec sheet, the X3Pro might be the new budget winner.
The Westcott FJ-X3 M ($109-$649 depending on mount)
The FJ-X3 M is the one I've been using the least but I think it might be the most interesting of the three. Why? Because Westcott sells it in two ways: the standard FJ-X3 S (for Sony) at $109, and the FJ-X3 M (universal multi-brand) at $649. Wait, what? Yeah. The multi-brand version with Canon/Nikon/Sony/Fuji/Olympus/Panasonic support is five times the price of the Sony-specific one.
What I like: it has physical buttons AND a screen, which is the best of both worlds for me. Channel scan that actually finds the clearest channel in your environment (this is something neither Profoto nor Godox does well). LCD readout shows group power levels clearly even in sunlight. Battery is removable and charges over USB-C. Multi-brand M version means if I shoot with a Canon body on Monday and Sony on Wednesday, I'm not buying two triggers.
What I don't like: $649 for the multi-brand version is a tough sell when the Godox X3 does 90% of the same job for $99. The 1.4x zoom lens on the FJ-series flashes (not the trigger, the lights) is proprietary enough that switching from Godox to FJ means rebuying your strobes. And honestly? For most people reading this, you're probably running a Godox AD200Pro or a Profoto B10 and the Westcott trigger has to live in the same workflow. If you're buying into the Westcott FJ wireless system fresh, it's great. If you're adding it to an existing rig, the value prop falls apart.
So which one am I actually using?
Ok real talk. If I had to pick one? For my personal work, where I'm shooting with the GH7 and a mix of Profoto B10s and Godox AD200s depending on the gig, the Godox X3 sits on my camera 80% of the time. It works with both systems, the battery lasts essentially forever, it's tiny, and at $89 it doesn't make me cry when my assistant sits on it. Touchscreen in cold weather is annoying but not a deal breaker.
The Profoto Connect Pro sits on my camera the other 20% of the time, which is when I'm doing corporate work where I want the extra screen real estate to monitor four lights at once and reliability is non-negotiable. I'd never buy it as my first trigger if I wasn't already in the Profoto system.
The Westcott FJ-X3 is the trigger I'd buy if I was starting fresh in 2026 and wanted to run the entire FJ wireless system (FJ200, FJ400, FJ400 II). For mixed-system shooters like me, it's probably not worth the $649 unless you're renting multi-brand bodies all the time.
Oh, one more thing. Pocket Wizard Plus X (or whatever their current model is) wasn't in the comparison because honestly the only people still buying Pocket Wizards are studio pros locked into legacy systems. If you're starting from scratch in 2026, you're picking from these three or one of the budget Chinese knockoffs I'd never run on a paid gig.
Final answer
If you want the cheapest trigger that works: Godox X3 ($89) or Godox X3Pro ($99) when available.
If you want the most premium experience and you're already on Profoto lights: Profoto Connect Pro ($399).
If you want multi-brand support and you're running Westcott FJ lights: FJ-X3 M ($649).
That's it. That's the comparison. No sneaky affiliate links, no "it depends on your style." Just the actual answer from someone who keeps all three within arm's reach.
If you want to dig into specific reviews, fstoppers has a great Profoto Connect Pro hands-on: https://fstoppers.com/gear/our-hands-preview-profotos-connect-pro-flash-trigger-608497. And B&H has a direct comparison page for the Godox X3 vs Westcott FJ-X3 M vs Profoto Connect Pro: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/compare/Godox_X+Nano_vs_Westcott_FJ-X3m_vs_Profoto_Connect+Pro/BHitems/1803867-REG_1729015-REG_1710030-REG.