SYNA vs LYNK smart control
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SYNA
Control your Maxspect integrated controller wirelessly. Manage multiple Maxspect devices, including the Ethereal LED Lighting System, directly from your mobile device.
- Wireless control
- Integrated controller management
- Maxspect device synchronization
- Ethereal LED Lighting System control
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This is the app to control the Maxspect ICV6 integrated controller. It provide wireless control of multiple Maxspect devices such as the Maxspect Ethereal LED Lighting System.
LYNK smart control
Control your Giesemann smart aquarium devices with this user-friendly app. It offers easy setup, online monitoring, and various lighting programs like sunrise/sunset and weather simulation. Receive helpful notifications and acclimate new aquarium setups with guided programs.
- User-friendly WIFI interface
- Easy setup
- Online monitoring
- Preset lighting programs
- Sunrise/sunset simulation
- Acclimation program
- Power outage notifications
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The brand new Giesemann LYNK App provides a user friendly WIFI interface for all Giesemann smart devices like the new AURORA V-8. Features include easy set up, professional mode, online monitoring, data base and many other functions for all Giesemann WIFI products. Your Giesemann device doesn't require a permanent internet connection as it runs stand-alone. It just may be connected with your router during setup or even may adjusted by its own WIFI access point. The LYNK app provides a number of preset lighting programs as well as additional features including sunrise/sunset, lunar cycle, clouds and other weather simulation. The app offers as well an acclimation program for new aquarium setups. LYNK provides comfortable guidelines during setup and as well as useful notifications in the event of power outage. LYNK will be updated to include additional smart aquarium devices as they become available.
Screenshots
Verdict
SYNA and LYNK smart control both sit at 1.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 46% of LYNK smart control's written reviews are positive against 16% of SYNA's. SYNA's advantage is ratings volume (13 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 1.5 for SYNA against 1.5 for LYNK smart control. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SYNA has 13 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 16% of SYNA's written reviews are positive against 46% of LYNK smart control's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SYNA | LYNK smart control |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.5 (13 ratings) | 1.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.0% of reviews | 46.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 40 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Maxspect | Giesemann Lichttechnik und Aquaristik GmbH |
Customer experience
SYNA
LYNK smart control
Bugs and requests
SYNA
Reported bugs
56 issues- App constantly freezing
- Unable to access controller
- App won't connect to app/router
- Controller disconnects from WiFi
- App keeps crashing
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- Connection issues with controller
- App is clunky
- Not optimized for newer iPhones
- Buttons outside of screen
- App locks up
- Control screen buttons missing on iPad
- App doesn't respond after value change
- App is unusable after update
- New version is partially unusable
- Hours and percentages not visible
- App broken by update
- Confusing, slow, and buggy
- Feed button off the page
- Percentage for lights disappeared
- Timers for setting lights don't work
- App doesn't respond well after update
- Device garbage, app garbage
- Controls are limited
- App abandoned
- Cannot use app
- App needs improvement
- Firmware update required via SD card
- Unpolished, needs more control options
- Binary on/off controls
- App is painful to use
- Tutorial video has errors
- Update wiped out settings
- App not optimized for iPhone X/Xs
- Cannot click buttons
- Firmware updates needed
- No cloud functionality for remote access
- Bad update, older version better
- App doesn't work on iPad
- Cannot adjust pump settings on iPad
- Preset and advanced buttons hidden
- Poorly tested updates
- Buttons outside of screen
- Cannot manually change flow types
- No transmit button
- Only automatic settings
- Disaster compared to previous version
- Cannot adjust schedule times
- Pop-up empty for time setting
- Cannot use app with router
- Network name incorrect, cannot change
- Connection fails most of the time
- Documentation non-existent
- App not easy to use
- No answers from support
- Photoperiod doesn't work on iPhone 6
- Wifi-Setup crashes after entering password
Requested features
14 requests- Add pulse mode for low percentages
- Option to select OGC preset mode
- Allow firmware updates over the app
- Add a feed button on the main app page
- Allow selection of pumps for feed mode
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- Enable remote activation of feed mode
- Add scheduling capabilities
- Improve control options
- Add help/documentation for the app
- Improve app to be easier to use
- Add Spanish language option
- Mimic moonlight with lower than 1% light
- Allow grouping of lamps for separate adjustment
- Improve Wi-Fi settings to avoid constant switching
LYNK smart control
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SYNA
No in-app purchases
LYNK smart control
No in-app purchases
