Comparison

Philips Hue vs Twinkly

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

Head to head
About

Philips Hue

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
Currently charting
Read full description

The official Philips Hue app is the most comprehensive way to organize, control, and customize your Philips Hue smart lights and accessories. Organize your smart lights Group your lights into Rooms or Zones — your entire downstairs floor or all the lights in the living room, for example — that mirror the physical rooms in your home. Easily control your lights — from anywhere Use the app to control your lights anywhere you have an internet connection. Explore the Hue scene gallery Created by professional lighting designers, the scenes in the scene gallery can help you set the mood for any occasion. You can even create your own scenes based on a photo or your favorite colors. Set up bright home security  Make your home feel safer, no matter where you are. The Security Center lets you program your Secure cameras, Secure contact sensors, and indoor motion sensors to send you alerts when they detect activity. Trigger light and sound alarms, call the authorities or a trusted contact, and monitor your home in real-time. Get the best light for any moment of the day Let your lights change automatically throughout the day with the Natural light scene — so you feel more energized, focused, relaxed, or rested at the right times. Just set the scene to watch your lights change with the sun’s movement, transitioning from cool blue tones in the morning to warmer, relaxing hues for sunset. Automate your lights Make your smart lights work around your daily routine. Whether you want your lights to gently wake you up in the morning or greet you when you get home, setting up customizable automations in the Philips Hue app is effortless. Sync your lights to TV, music, and games Make your lights flash, dance, dim, brighten, and change color in sync with your screen or sound! With the Philips Hue Play HDMI sync box, the Philips Hue Sync for TV or desktop apps, or Spotify, you can create totally immersive experiences. Set up voice control Use Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant to control your smart lights with voice commands. Turn lights on and off, dim and brighten, or even change colors — completely hands-free. Use Siri Shortcuts for quick control Use the Shortcuts app to create shortcuts that you can place into widgets on your Home Screen for even faster control of your lights. Turn lights on or off, adjust their brightness and temperature, or set scenes — all without even opening the app. Learn more about the official Philips Hue app: www.philips-hue.com/app. Read the Philips Hue Privacy Notice at www.philips-hue.com/privacy. Note: Some features in this app require a Philips Hue Bridge.

About

Twinkly

Control and personalize smart light decorations for an enhanced festive experience. Easily connect via Wi-Fi to create custom lighting effects for your tree and home.

Highlights
  • Personalize lighting effects
  • Smart design
  • Intuitive use
  • Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Customizable Christmas lights
Features
Read full description

The companion app for Twinkly, the smart light decoration system to make your Christmas unforgettable. It is the evolution of the classic Christmas lights and a true innovation in how you light up your tree. It features a smart design that gives you the ability to personalize your lighting effects for an even greater experience. Designed for intuitive use, just connect over Wi-Fi and you will be playing with your lights in a matter of seconds.

Screenshots

Philips Hue4 screens
Twinkly4 screens

Verdict

The call

Philips Hue and Twinkly both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of Philips Hue's written reviews are positive against 38% of Twinkly's. Philips Hue also leads on chart position (#204 vs unranked). Twinkly's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Philips Hue sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Twinkly asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Philips Hue against 4.6 for Twinkly. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 117K and 48K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Philips Hue's written reviews are positive against 38% of Twinkly's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Philips Hue ships an update every 2 weeks, Twinkly fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Philips Hue versus Twinkly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhilips HueTwinkly
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (117K ratings) — better4.6 (48K ratings)
Positive reviews85.2% of reviews — better38.3% of reviews
Number of ratings117K — better48K
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#204 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size248 MB194 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSignify Netherlands B.V.Twinkly srl

Customer experience

Philips Hue

All ratings117,436 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral1.7%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews8,957 reviews
Positive85.2%
Neutral3.5%
Negative11.3%

Twinkly

All ratings48,269 ratings
Positive90.6%
Neutral2.6%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews888 reviews
Positive38.3%
Neutral11.9%
Negative49.8%

User reviews

Philips Hue

From 117K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Twinkly

From 48K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Amazing lights
  • 🎨 Customizable colors and effects
  • 🎄 Great for holiday decorations
  • 👍 Easy to use app
  • 🤩 Wow factor

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app
  • 🔌 Connectivity issues
  • 🤯 Frustrating user experience
  • 🕰️ Unstable firmware updates
  • 💸 Expensive for the issues

Bugs and requests

Philips Hue

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Twinkly

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App crashes and freezes frequently
  • Lights disconnecting from WiFi
  • Mapping and setup process unreliable
  • Preset effects not working as expected
  • Playlist and custom effects not saving
Show 1 more
  • Firmware update process failing

Requested features

6 requests
  • Multiple timers for on/off schedules
  • Ability to edit and save custom effects
  • Sync effects across multiple light sets
  • Homekit and Alexa integration
  • More preset effects and animations
Show 1 more
  • Improved app layout and usability

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Philips Hue

Subscriptions9
  • Motion Aware Monthly Plan$0.991 Month
  • Sync TV-app for LG (1 Month)$2.991 Month
  • Secure Basic for 1 camera$3.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Secure Basic for 2 cameras$7.991 Month
  • Secure Plus$9.991 Month
  • Motion Aware Yearly Plan$9.991 Year
  • Secure Basic for 1 camera$39.991 Year
  • Secure Basic for 2 cameras$79.991 Year
  • Secure Plus$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Sync TV-app for LG (Lifetime)$129.99
None

Twinkly

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Philips Hue free?
Philips Hue is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Twinkly free?
Twinkly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Philips Hue or Twinkly?
Philips Hue is rated higher. Philips Hue averages 4.7 out of 5 from 117K ratings, while Twinkly averages 4.6 from 48K ratings.
Do Philips Hue or Twinkly have ads?
Neither Philips Hue nor Twinkly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Philips Hue or Twinkly?
Philips Hue ships an update every 2 weeks, and Twinkly fortnightly. Most recently, Philips Hue was updated on October 29, 2026 and Twinkly on October 29, 2026.

Other comparisons