# Twinkly vs Firstime

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Twinkly at 16.0 against Firstime's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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, Firstime every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Twinkly | Firstime |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/twinkly/id1132187056/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 38.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 193 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Twinkly srl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1132187055) | [Nicola Bottari de Castello](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886836321) |

## What reviewers say

### Twinkly

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

Control and personalize your smart light decorations with this intuitive companion app. Easily connect over Wi-Fi to create custom lighting effects for an unforgettable holiday experience. Transform your tree with innovative, smart designs.

**Highlights:** Personalize lighting effects, Smart design, Intuitive use, Wi-Fi connectivity, Customizable colors, Holiday decoration system

**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


### Firstime

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/firstime/id6760922652)

**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 Firstime free?

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

### Do Twinkly or Firstime have ads?

Neither Twinkly nor Firstime shows ads.

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

Twinkly ships an update fortnightly, and Firstime every 2 weeks. Most recently, Twinkly was updated on November 5, 2026 and Firstime on October 25, 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.*