Comparison

Nanoleaf vs Moonside

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Nanoleaf

Control and customize your smart lighting experience with this app. Design layouts, set schedules, and explore community-created scenes. Integrate with smart home assistants for hands-free control.

Highlights
  • Virtual Layout Assistant
  • One-touch RGB presets
  • Full customization
  • Remote on/off and brightness control
  • Group and room control
  • Scene creation and discovery
  • Voice command integration
Features
Read full description

Design, set up, manage, and control your Nanoleaf lights all in one place. From the virtual Layout Assistant, to one-touch RGB presets, to full in-depth customization like you’ve never seen before, prepare for a lighting experience that is Smarter by Design. Simple Control Use the App to scan your lights’ pairing code and get set up in seconds, then enjoy your smart light-switch. Remotely turn your lights on and off, adjust brightness (trust us they go BRIGHT), and select your color Scenes from anywhere within your home. Group your lights together for joint control with Group Scenes (because we love a team player), or segment by room to keep your lights as organized as you wish your life could be. Complete Customization Create custom dynamic Scenes by selecting palettes and colors with the intuitive color wheel, adjusting ratios, and choosing animated motions. Try vibrant RGB hues to set a total vibe, or put the “fun” in functional lighting with the whole range of white color temperatures. Advanced Automations Set Schedules to automate your daily lighting needs, from gentle morning light-alarms, to gradually dimming nightly reminders that Holy **** it’s 2AM again, you need to wake up in 4 hours, PLEASE go to sleep. Now You’re Talking Connect your lights with your smart home assistant (HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Samsung SmartThings) and use voice commands to control them hands-free. Just say “Hey Siri, turn on my TGIF” Scene” and instantly enter full relaxation-mode at the end of a long week. Join the Community Explore the App’s “Discover” tab for a huge collection of incredible Scenes created by users like you. Well, like you, just more creative. But if you too are the creative type, share your own Scenes and show the community what you’ve got! There are endless Scenes to discover for every mood and occasion, all the way from “Ho Ho Holidays” to “Netflix and Chill”. + More With a virtual AR Layout Assistant, curated Scenes and Playlists, Cloud Control (requires Apple home hub), and additional product information, the Nanoleaf App really is your smart lighting one-stop-shop. The Nanoleaf App supports all Nanoleaf manufactured products including by not limited to: Light Panels, Canvas, Shapes, Essentials, Elements, Lines, Blocks, Sense+ Smart Switch and Matter Wi-Fi products. Enjoy it today on the ever superior iOS operating system.

About

Moonside

Control smart lights with millions of colors and custom patterns. This app offers seamless Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing you to design unique lighting experiences for any mood or occasion. Transform your living spaces with intuitive, pixel-level control.

Highlights
  • Millions of color options
  • Customizable lighting patterns
  • Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Pixel-level light control
  • Remote control functionality
Features
Read full description

Moonside Smart Light Control App. Immerse yourself in a world of vivid colors and custom lighting patterns with Moonside Smart Lights. Our intuitive app lets you orchestrate a light show, right from the palm of your hand, no matter where you are. We bring the power of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and smart home integration right to your fingertips. App Features: • A Spectrum at Your Disposal: Choose from over 16 million color options – every shade is a swipe away. Design your own mood, theme, or occasion with unparalleled color variety. • Seamless Connectivity: Use the convenience of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections to control your lights effortlessly. Adjust the ambiance from your couch, the office, or even while you're out of town. • Light Pixel Painting: With our app, every pixel on your Moonside smart light becomes a canvas. Paint your space with light, pixel by pixel, and watch your home come alive. • And Much More: The Moonside app is packed full of features that will elevate your home lighting experience. Dive in and discover the possibilities. Experience the fusion of technology and design, and transform your living spaces into scenes straight out of your imagination. Let the Moonside Smart Lights illuminate your world.

Screenshots

Nanoleaf4 screens
Moonside3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Nanoleaf at 4.2 against Moonside's 2.9. Nanoleaf also leads on ratings volume (45K vs 41) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). Moonside's advantage is review sentiment (45% vs 17%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Nanoleaf holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nanoleaf has 45K ratings behind it against 41, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 17% of Nanoleaf's written reviews are positive against 45% of Moonside's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nanoleaf ships an update every 2 weeks, Moonside monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and August 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Nanoleaf versus Moonside: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNanoleafMoonside
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (45K ratings) — better2.9 (41 ratings)
Positive reviews17.2% of reviews45.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings45K — better41
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.4 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size188 MB151 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperNanoleafJiangyin Yimiao Smart Technology Ltd.

Customer experience

Nanoleaf

All ratings44,522 ratings
Positive80.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative16.4%
Written reviews1,389 reviews
Positive17.2%
Neutral8.8%
Negative74.0%

Moonside

All ratings36 ratings
Positive47.2%
Neutral5.6%
Negative47.2%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive45.0%
Neutral7.5%
Negative47.5%

Bugs and requests

Nanoleaf

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Moonside

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Nanoleaf

No in-app purchases

None

Moonside

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Nanoleaf free?
Nanoleaf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Moonside free?
Moonside is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Nanoleaf or Moonside?
Nanoleaf is rated higher. Nanoleaf averages 4.2 out of 5 from 45K ratings, while Moonside averages 2.9 from 41 ratings.
Do Nanoleaf or Moonside have ads?
Neither Nanoleaf nor Moonside shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Nanoleaf or Moonside?
Nanoleaf ships an update every 2 weeks, and Moonside monthly. Most recently, Nanoleaf was updated on September 30, 2026 and Moonside on August 12, 2026.

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