# Philips Hue vs Hao Deng

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Philips Hue at 85% against Hao Deng's 36%. Philips Hue also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.7) and ratings volume (118K vs 83). Hao Deng's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (15.0 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. Hao Deng asks for nothing beyond the download.

Philips Hue holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Philips Hue has 118K ratings behind it against 83, 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 36% of Hao Deng's.

Philips Hue ships an update every 2 weeks, Hao Deng every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Philips Hue | Hao Deng |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (118K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philips-hue/id1055281310/reviews)** | [2.7 (83 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hao-deng/id1347091886/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **118K** | 83 |
| Positive reviews | **85.3% of reviews** | 36.5% 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** |
| Best chart rank | **#132** | — |
| Size | 248 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Signify Netherlands B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/979064009) | [JM Zengge Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1454768668) |

## What reviewers say

### Philips Hue

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

**Currently charting:** #132 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


### Hao Deng

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hao-deng/id1347091886)

Effortlessly manage your smart LED lights with a vast array of color and brightness options. Create custom scenes, group bulbs by room, and utilize security or wake-up lighting features. Sync lights to music or ambient room colors for a dynamic experience.

**Highlights:** 16 million color choices, Brightness control, Customizable scenes, Multi-room grouping, Security lighting timers, Wake-up/turn-down lighting, Music sync (MIC mode), Camera color detection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Philips Hue free?

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

### Is Hao Deng free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Philips Hue or Hao Deng?

Philips Hue is rated higher. Philips Hue averages 4.7 out of 5 from 118K ratings, while Hao Deng averages 2.7 from 83 ratings.

### Do Philips Hue or Hao Deng have ads?

Neither Philips Hue nor Hao Deng shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Philips Hue or Hao Deng?

Philips Hue ships an update every 2 weeks, and Hao Deng every 2 months. Most recently, Philips Hue was updated on November 1, 2026 and Hao Deng on October 26, 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.*