Comparison

Onkyo Controller vs WLED

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Onkyo Controller

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
Read full description

Onkyo Controller is the official Onkyo remote control application that allows users to conveniently operate compatible Onkyo network products from their iPhone/iPod touch/iPad. The intuitive, user-friendly interface makes it easy to get more from your AV home entertainment experience. Main functions that can be operated through this application. (1) Play music in each room or every room - Lets you play music from music streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, DEEZER and TIDAL, your music library on your smart device, or your NAS drive on compatible products. - You can play your music via radio, Bluetooth and USB. (2) Remote control functions - You can operate general control functions (play/stop, control the volume, select the input source, etc.) from your smartphone. (3) Operation of connected product(home theater product such as AV amplifier) - Lets you control a Blu-Ray Disc player or TV that is connected to an AV amplifier or home theater product via HDMI. (4) Dirac Live-enabled products measure automatic sound field correction. In addition, filters can be edited. (5) Audio/Video formats of input and output can also be checked. *By setting the “Network Standby” menu item in the unit’s initial settings to ON, you can use this application to turn on the power of the unit. Compatible models Network AV Receivers/Network Audio Player/Home Theater/Wireless Speaker in April 2016 or later ■ Please note ・To use Application it needs to read and agree Terms of Service. ・All models require a firmware update to use Onkyo Controller. ・Available Service depends on regions. ・Why Device's location is needed? Answer: In order to set-up your wireless devices which are located around you, SSID and Access Point info is needed. There is no other purpose to use the information of Device’s Location.

About

WLED

Control and manage all your WLED light devices from your iPhone or iPad. This companion app works with the open-source WLED software for microcontrollers, offering automatic device detection, customizable names, and software update assistance.

Highlights
  • Automatic device detection
  • Centralized light list
  • Software update assistant
  • Customizable device names
  • Hide or delete devices
  • Light and dark mode
Features
Read full description

With the WLED app, you can easily and efficiently manage and control all your WLED light devices from your iPhone or iPad. This is a companion app for the free and open source WLED software for ESP8266/32 microcontrollers. WLED automatically detects and updates the device list, and offers customizable names, a hide or delete feature, and a light and dark mode. It can also help you install new software updates to your devices. Plus, it supports both phones and tablets. Main Features: - Automatic device detection (mDNS) - All lights are accessible from one list - Software Update Assistant - Custom names - Hide or delete devices - Light and dark mode

Screenshots

Onkyo Controller4 screens
WLED4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: WLED at 4.0 against Onkyo Controller's 2.2. WLED also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 26%). Onkyo Controller's advantage is ratings volume (620 vs 10). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

WLED holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Onkyo Controller has 620 ratings behind it against 10, 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 51% of WLED's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and August 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Onkyo Controller versus WLED: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOnkyo ControllerWLED
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.2 (620 ratings)4.0 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.7% of reviews50.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings620 — better10
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer11 Trading Company LLCChristophe Gagnier

Customer experience

Onkyo Controller

All ratings620 ratings
Positive26.6%
Neutral6.0%
Negative67.4%
Written reviews506 reviews
Positive25.7%
Neutral12.1%
Negative62.3%

WLED

All ratings10 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive50.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative42.1%

User reviews

Onkyo Controller

From 620 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

WLED

From 10 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Works flawlessly for some
  • 👍 Free and does the job
  • 👍 Great for managing multiple devices
  • 👍 Responsive and stable (for some)
  • 👍 Cleaner and modern UI

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues
  • 🐛 Randomly turns on/off
  • 🐛 Not user friendly
  • 🐛 Glitchy and poorly built
  • 🐛 Flickering lights after update

Bugs and requests

Onkyo Controller

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

WLED

Reported bugs

42 issues
  • Unable to connect to LEDs
  • Lights randomly turn on
  • Connectivity issues, needs re-pairing
  • App doesn't work, glitchy
  • Brightness control issues
Show 37 more
  • Lights flicker after update
  • Cannot find discover lights option
  • Not connected to iPhone, setup issues
  • App won't load, vanishes
  • None of my devices show up
  • Shows up blank, manual add only
  • No longer finds WLED devices
  • App doesn't work, no devices showing
  • Confusing app, turns off
  • App is unusable after update, errors
  • App stopped picking up signal
  • Only connects when at home
  • Doesn't pick up esp8266
  • Sound react option missing
  • Time and macros section not working
  • Update won't update
  • Goes offline from time to time
  • Update breaks app, beta works
  • Drops connection, cannot adjust lights
  • Latest release freezes, unstable wifi
  • Loading WLED UI stuck
  • Inconsistent connection after new update
  • Lost all config after update
  • Lost all presets after update
  • Devices missing and disappearing
  • Update ruined everything, random disconnects
  • App constantly crashes, won't load
  • Stopped working after update
  • New upgrade feature killed device
  • Inconsistent, can't find boards
  • Cannot connect lights, IP address doesn't work
  • Missing schedule function
  • App doesn't work at all
  • Doesn't work properly with WLED 0.14
  • App won't allow changing anything, freezes
  • Hidden devices reappear
  • App goes offline and never connects again

Requested features

6 requests
  • User-friendly interface
  • Simple interface with advanced option
  • Widget features for Home Screen
  • Sound react option
  • Remote control when away from WiFi
Show 1 more
  • Timer or schedule function

In-app purchases

None

Onkyo Controller

No in-app purchases

None

WLED

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Onkyo Controller free?
Onkyo Controller is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is WLED free?
WLED is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Onkyo Controller or WLED?
WLED is rated higher. Onkyo Controller averages 2.2 out of 5 from 620 ratings, while WLED averages 4.0 from 10 ratings.
Do Onkyo Controller or WLED have ads?
Neither Onkyo Controller nor WLED shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Onkyo Controller or WLED?
Onkyo Controller ships an update every 2 months, and WLED every 2 months. Most recently, Onkyo Controller was updated on September 22, 2026 and WLED on August 12, 2026.

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