# Philips Hue vs Active Era

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Philips Hue at 85% against Active Era's 15%. Philips Hue also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.2) and ratings volume (117K vs 5). Active Era's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (8.0 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. Active Era asks for nothing beyond the download.

Philips Hue holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Philips Hue has 117K ratings behind it against 5, 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 15% of Active Era's.

Philips Hue ships an update every 2 weeks, Active Era every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Philips Hue | Active Era |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (117K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philips-hue/id1055281310/reviews)** | [3.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-era/id1458687778/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **117K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **85.2% of reviews** | 15.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#171** | — |
| Size | 247 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Signify Netherlands B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/979064009) | [One Retail Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/1458687777) |

## What reviewers say

### Philips Hue

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

**Currently charting:** #171 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


### Active Era

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-era/id1458687778)

This app syncs with smart scales to provide comprehensive body composition analysis. Track key metrics like weight, BMI, and body fat with visual charts and trends. Share your progress easily and manage multiple user profiles.

**Highlights:** Body composition analysis, Weight, BMI, body fat tracking, Progress charts and trends, Data sharing via email/messaging, Multiple user profiles, Apple Health integration, Fitbit app integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Philips Hue free?

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

### Is Active Era free?

Active Era is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Philips Hue or Active Era?

Philips Hue is rated higher. Philips Hue averages 4.7 out of 5 from 117K ratings, while Active Era averages 3.2 from 5 ratings.

### Do Philips Hue or Active Era have ads?

Neither Philips Hue nor Active Era shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Philips Hue or Active Era?

Philips Hue ships an update every 2 weeks, and Active Era every 6 weeks. Most recently, Philips Hue was updated on October 28, 2026 and Active Era on October 20, 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.*