# Onkyo Controller vs LightShow®SmartLights

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Onkyo Controller at 620 against LightShow®SmartLights's 4. Onkyo Controller also leads on rating (2.2 vs 2.0). LightShow®SmartLights's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Onkyo Controller holds the better App Store score, 2.2 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Onkyo Controller has 620 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of Onkyo Controller's written reviews are positive against 23% of LightShow®SmartLights's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Onkyo Controller | LightShow®SmartLights |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.2 (620 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onkyo-controller/id1110608712/reviews)** | [2.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightshowsmartlights/id1115496422/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **620** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **25.6% of reviews** | 23.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 80 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [11 Trading Company LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1641485011) | [Gemmy Industries Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/889851671) |

## What reviewers say

### Onkyo Controller

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onkyo-controller/id1110608712)

Control compatible Onkyo network products with this official remote app. Stream music from various sources, manage playback, and operate connected home theater devices. Features automatic sound field correction for compatible products.

**Highlights:** Music playback from streaming services, Control music library and NAS drives, Remote control functions (play, volume, input), Operate connected Blu-Ray players and TVs, Automatic sound field correction (Dirac Live), Check audio/video formats, Turn on compatible units remotely

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient remote control
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Supports Tidal and Spotify
- 🚀 Fast and responsive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connection issues
- 🐛 App crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Unreliable performance
- 🐛 Compatibility problems with older devices

**Reported bugs**

- App doesn't recognize receiver
- Fails to connect to Wi-Fi
- Loses connection during use
- Doesn't work with iOS 13 and newer
- Causes receiver to enter Direct mode unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Add support for Apple Music
- Improve Tidal and Deezer integration
- Allow customization of input names
- Add sleep timer and power off options
- Improve volume control and speaker balance adjustments


### LightShow®SmartLights

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightshowsmartlights/id1115496422)

Control your holiday light displays directly from your smartphone. This app allows you to customize effects, colors, and themes for your lighting products, making holiday decorating easy and personalized.

**Highlights:** Smartphone control, Dozens of effects and colors, Multiple holiday themes, Customizable lighting options, Easy setup and management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Onkyo Controller free?

Onkyo Controller is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is LightShow®SmartLights free?

LightShow®SmartLights is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Onkyo Controller or LightShow®SmartLights?

Onkyo Controller is rated higher. Onkyo Controller averages 2.2 out of 5 from 620 ratings, while LightShow®SmartLights averages 2.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Onkyo Controller or LightShow®SmartLights have ads?

Neither Onkyo Controller nor LightShow®SmartLights shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Onkyo Controller or LightShow®SmartLights?

Onkyo Controller ships an update every 2 months, and LightShow®SmartLights every 2 months. Most recently, Onkyo Controller was updated on October 17, 2026 and LightShow®SmartLights on October 21, 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.*