# Philips Hue vs ABUS SmartX

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Philips Hue at 85% against ABUS SmartX's 20%. Philips Hue also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). ABUS SmartX's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (12.0 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. ABUS SmartX asks for nothing beyond the download.

Philips Hue holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Philips Hue has 118K ratings behind it against 7, 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 20% of ABUS SmartX's.

Philips Hue ships an update every 2 weeks, ABUS SmartX every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Philips Hue | ABUS SmartX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (118K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philips-hue/id1055281310/reviews)** | [3.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abus-smartx/id1460768687/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **118K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **85.3% of reviews** | 19.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#171** | — |
| Size | 248 MB | 105 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Signify Netherlands B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/979064009) | [ABUS August Bremicker Söhne KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1402043635) |

## 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


### ABUS SmartX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abus-smartx/id1460768687)

Transform your smartphone into a digital key for mechatronic alarm locks. Enjoy convenient unlocking and closing via secure Bluetooth, and manage access for up to eight additional users. Ideal for groups and families needing to manage multiple locks.

**Highlights:** Smartphone as digital key, Secure Bluetooth unlocking, Access authorization sharing, Manage multiple locks, Temporary access grants, Group and family management

**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 ABUS SmartX free?

ABUS SmartX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Philips Hue or ABUS SmartX?

Philips Hue is rated higher. Philips Hue averages 4.7 out of 5 from 118K ratings, while ABUS SmartX averages 3.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do Philips Hue or ABUS SmartX have ads?

Neither Philips Hue nor ABUS SmartX shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Philips Hue or ABUS SmartX?

Philips Hue ships an update every 2 weeks, and ABUS SmartX every 5 months. Most recently, Philips Hue was updated on October 30, 2026 and ABUS SmartX on October 22, 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.*