# Philips Hue vs Meross

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Philips Hue at 118K against Meross's 7.9K. Philips Hue also leads on chart position (#154 vs unranked) and review sentiment (85% vs 77%). Meross's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, 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 and Meross sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Philips Hue against 4.6 for Meross. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Philips Hue has 118K ratings behind it against 7.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Philips Hue's written reviews are positive against 77% of Meross's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Philips Hue | Meross |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (118K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philips-hue/id1055281310/reviews)** | [4.6 (7.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meross/id1260842951/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **118K** | 7.9K |
| Positive reviews | **85.3% of reviews** | 77.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#154** | — |
| Size | 248 MB | 228 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Signify Netherlands B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/979064009) | [Chengdu Meross Technology Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1260842710) |

## What reviewers say

### Philips Hue

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

**Currently charting:** #154 Top Free · Lifestyle (US App Store)

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


### Meross

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meross/id1260842951)

Control and manage a wide range of smart home devices remotely. Set schedules, create custom scenes, and integrate with voice assistants for automated control. Access troubleshooting guides, firmware updates, and community forums for support.

**Highlights:** Remote device control, Custom schedules and scenes, Voice assistant integration, Firmware updates, In-app hardware guides, Consumer forum

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 SMS for a month | $0.99 | per month |
| 优惠测试-月 | $1.99 | per month |
| 优惠测试-年 | $1.99 | per year |
| 优惠测试-周 | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| 30 SMS for a month | $2.49 | per month |
| 100 SMS for a month | $6.99 | per month |
| 30 SMS | $3.49 | one-time |
| 100 SMS | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🚀 Reliable and stable performance
- 💡 Useful features like power consumption monitoring
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 🔌 Seamless integration with smart home platforms

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connectivity issues and device disconnections
- 🔧 Setup can be tricky at times
- 📱 Limited customization options in the app
- 🕰️ Routines and scheduling could be more flexible

**Reported bugs**

- Unreliable garage door status reporting
- Compatibility issues with iOS 16 updates
- Inconsistent device discovery and pairing

**Requested features**

- Add support for more smart home platforms
- Improve app interface and allow for more customization
- Enhance scheduling and automation features
- Provide more detailed energy consumption reporting


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Philips Hue free?

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

### Is Meross free?

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

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

Philips Hue is rated higher. Philips Hue averages 4.7 out of 5 from 118K ratings, while Meross averages 4.6 from 7.9K ratings.

### Do Philips Hue or Meross have ads?

Neither Philips Hue nor Meross shows ads.

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

Philips Hue ships an update every 2 weeks, and Meross every 2 weeks. Most recently, Philips Hue was updated on October 31, 2026 and Meross on October 31, 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.*