# Nanoleaf vs Philips Hue

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Philips Hue at 85% against Nanoleaf's 17%. Philips Hue also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and chart position (#198 vs unranked). Nanoleaf's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (15.4 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Philips Hue sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Nanoleaf asks for nothing beyond the download.

Philips Hue holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 45K and 118K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Nanoleaf's written reviews are positive against 85% of Philips Hue's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nanoleaf | Philips Hue |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (45K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nanoleaf/id1049333656/reviews) | **[4.7 (118K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philips-hue/id1055281310/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 45K | **118K** |
| Positive reviews | 17.0% of reviews | **85.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#198** |
| Size | 193 MB | 248 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.4** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nanoleaf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1049333655) | [Signify Netherlands B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/979064009) |

## What reviewers say

### Nanoleaf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nanoleaf/id1049333656)

Control and customize your smart lighting experience with a comprehensive app. Design layouts, set schedules, create dynamic scenes, and integrate with voice assistants for effortless smart home management.

**Highlights:** Virtual Layout Assistant, One-touch RGB presets, Full scene customization, Remote on/off and brightness control, Scene scheduling and automation, Voice command integration, Community scene discovery

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Customizable lighting
- 💡 Innovative features
- 🎨 Beautiful product design
- 🕰 Scheduling and automation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🔌 Unreliable firmware updates
- 🤯 Confusing app UI/UX
- 🕰 Slow response times
- 🔍 Difficult to troubleshoot

**Reported bugs**

- Lights randomly disconnecting
- Firmware updates failing or bricking devices
- Scenes not syncing properly across devices
- App crashes on launch or during use
- Delayed or unresponsive device controls

**Requested features**

- Improved app stability and reliability
- More intuitive scene creation and management
- Better integration with other smart home platforms
- Customizable animation speed and effects
- Ability to save and restore custom color presets


### Philips Hue

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philips-hue/id1055281310)

**Currently charting:** #198 Top Free · Lifestyle (US App Store)

Control and customize your smart lights and accessories from anywhere. Organize lights into rooms, set moods with pre-designed or custom scenes, and automate your lighting to fit your daily routine. Enhance home security with motion detection and real-time monitoring.

**Highlights:** Organize lights by rooms/zones, Remote light control, Hue scene gallery, Home security features, Natural light automation, Sync lights with media, Voice control integration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Motion Aware Monthly Plan | $0.99 | per month |
| Sync TV-app for LG (1 Month) | $2.99 | per month |
| Secure Basic for 1 camera | $3.99 | per month |
| Secure Basic for 2 cameras | $7.99 | per month |
| Secure Plus | $9.99 | per month |
| Motion Aware Yearly Plan | $9.99 | per year |
| Secure Basic for 1 camera | $39.99 | per year |
| Secure Basic for 2 cameras | $79.99 | per year |
| Secure Plus | $99.99 | per year |
| Sync TV-app for LG (Lifetime) | $129.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Reliable and stable
- 💡 Flexible lighting control
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly
- 🎨 Vibrant and customizable colors
- 🔒 Secure remote access

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues after updates
- 🔀 Confusing navigation and UI changes
- ⏱️ Slow performance and lag
- 🤯 Frustrating loss of key features
- 🤖 Incompatible with older devices

**Reported bugs**

- Lights not responding to app commands
- Scenes and automations not working as expected
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Inability to log in or sync with account
- Erratic behavior after software updates

**Requested features**

- Ability to control lights individually in a room
- More dynamic and customizable lighting scenes
- Seamless integration between multiple Hue bridges
- Improved automation and scheduling options
- Restore removed timer and widget functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nanoleaf free?

Nanoleaf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Philips Hue free?

Philips Hue is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Nanoleaf or Philips Hue?

Philips Hue is rated higher. Nanoleaf averages 4.2 out of 5 from 45K ratings, while Philips Hue averages 4.7 from 118K ratings.

### Do Nanoleaf or Philips Hue have ads?

Neither Nanoleaf nor Philips Hue shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nanoleaf or Philips Hue?

Nanoleaf ships an update every 2 weeks, and Philips Hue every 2 weeks. Most recently, Nanoleaf was updated on November 6, 2026 and Philips Hue on November 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*