# Philips Hue vs SmartShaker+

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Philips Hue at 85% against SmartShaker+'s 19%. Philips Hue also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.5) and ratings volume (117K vs 57). SmartShaker+'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (8.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Philips Hue holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Philips Hue has 117K ratings behind it against 57, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Philips Hue's written reviews are positive against 19% of SmartShaker+'s.

Philips Hue ships an update every 2 weeks, SmartShaker+ every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Philips Hue | SmartShaker+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (117K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philips-hue/id1055281310/reviews)** | [2.5 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartshaker-plus/id1088470185/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **117K** | 57 |
| Positive reviews | **85.1% of reviews** | 19.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 247 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **8.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Signify Netherlands B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/979064009) | [iLuv-Creative Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/357037443) |

## What reviewers say

### Philips Hue

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

Control and customize your smart lighting system from anywhere. Organize lights by room, create custom scenes, and automate your lighting to match your daily routine or enhance security. Sync lights with media for immersive experiences.

**Highlights:** Organize lights into rooms and zones, Remote control from anywhere, Explore and create custom lighting scenes, Home security features with sensors, Automate lighting schedules, Sync lights with TV, music, and games, 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


### SmartShaker+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartshaker-plus/id1088470185)

Control smart devices like bed shakers and smart LED bulbs. Create custom wake-up scenes with light colors, brightness, and music. The bed shaker acts as a trigger to activate your personalized wake-up experience.

**Highlights:** Control SmartShaker/SmartShaker2, Control Rainbow7 smart bulb, Wake-up with vibration or melody, Wake-up to music, Set bulb color and brightness, Define custom wake-up scenes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works well for heavy sleepers
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 👍 Wakes user without disturbing others
- 👍 Good concept for vibrating alarm
- 👍 Effective vibrations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable syncing
- 🐛 Frequent Bluetooth connectivity issues
- 🐛 App not updated for years
- 🐛 Device stops working after a short period
- 🐛 App crashes or doesn't open

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing and Bluetooth connectivity is unreliable
- App not opening after update
- App crashes immediately
- Times and percentage of power not syncing
- Device not supported through Bluetooth on iPhone Pro

**Requested features**

- Add a timer function for naps
- Update app for location services
- Allow user to change snooze time
- Make alarm volume adjustable
- Support iOS 11 and newer iPhones


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Philips Hue free?

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

### Is SmartShaker+ free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Philips Hue or SmartShaker+?

Philips Hue is rated higher. Philips Hue averages 4.7 out of 5 from 117K ratings, while SmartShaker+ averages 2.5 from 57 ratings.

### Do Philips Hue or SmartShaker+ have ads?

Neither Philips Hue nor SmartShaker+ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Philips Hue or SmartShaker+?

Philips Hue ships an update every 2 weeks, and SmartShaker+ every 2 months. Most recently, Philips Hue was updated on October 21, 2026 and SmartShaker+ on October 21, 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.*