# Twinkly vs Join

The clearest difference is update cadence: Twinkly at fortnightly against Join's every 23 months. Join's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Twinkly ships an update fortnightly, Join every 23 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Twinkly | Join |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/twinkly/id1132187056/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 38.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 23 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 194 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ledworks srl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1132187055) | [YCS Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/545353031) |

## What reviewers say

### Twinkly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/twinkly/id1132187056)

Control and personalize smart light decorations for an enhanced festive experience. Easily connect via Wi-Fi to create custom lighting effects for your tree and home.

**Highlights:** Personalize lighting effects, Smart design, Intuitive use, Wi-Fi connectivity, Customizable Christmas lights

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Amazing lights
- 🎨 Customizable colors and effects
- 🎄 Great for holiday decorations
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🤩 Wow factor

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app
- 🔌 Connectivity issues
- 🤯 Frustrating user experience
- 🕰️ Unstable firmware updates
- 💸 Expensive for the issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes frequently
- Lights disconnecting from WiFi
- Mapping and setup process unreliable
- Preset effects not working as expected
- Playlist and custom effects not saving

**Requested features**

- Multiple timers for on/off schedules
- Ability to edit and save custom effects
- Sync effects across multiple light sets
- Homekit and Alexa integration
- More preset effects and animations


### Join

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/join-hero/id6443680866)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Twinkly free?

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

### Is Join free?

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

### Do Twinkly or Join have ads?

Neither Twinkly nor Join shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Twinkly or Join?

Twinkly ships an update fortnightly, and Join every 23 months. Most recently, Twinkly was updated on October 16, 2026 and Join on September 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.*