# HME AquaMaster vs Magic

The clearest difference is rating: Magic at 2.3 against HME AquaMaster's 1.8. Magic also leads on ratings volume (845 vs 8) and review sentiment (30% vs 8%). 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.

Magic holds the better App Store score, 2.3 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic has 845 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 8% of HME AquaMaster's written reviews are positive against 30% of Magic's.

HME AquaMaster ships an update every 2 months, Magic every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HME AquaMaster | Magic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.8 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hme-aquamaster/id1203726885/reviews) | **[2.3 (845 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-lantern/id1479587050/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **845** |
| Positive reviews | 7.7% of reviews | **29.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#170** |
| Size | 23 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BO WEI TSAI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441225727) | [shenzhen ELK Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1491353983) |

## What reviewers say

### HME AquaMaster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hme-aquamaster/id1203726885)

Control aquarium hydration, water changes, and lighting cycles. Customize spectrum, brightness, and daily light patterns. Manage multiple lamps and traditional devices like pumps via smart sockets.

**Highlights:** Automatic hydration and water changes, Customizable light spectrum and brightness, Daily light and dark cycle settings, BLE control for multiple lamps, Smart socket integration for pumps

**In-app purchases:** none


### Magic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-lantern/id1479587050)

**Currently charting:** #170 Top Free · Entertainment (US App Store)

Control your RGBIC LED strips with this app. Adjust brightness, colors, dynamic modes, and scenes. Sync lights to music, set timers, and customize pixel configurations for a personalized lighting experience.

**Highlights:** Color control, Dimming and grading, Dynamic modes and scenes, Music rhythm sync, Timer settings, Pixel and line sequence customization

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great product
- 👍 Lots of color options and effects
- 🎨 Decent app functionality
- 💡 Music sync feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connection issues
- 🔌 Unreliable remote and app control
- 🎨 Limited color customization
- 🤔 Confusing UI and settings
- 🔒 Security/privacy concerns

**Reported bugs**

- Colors not displaying correctly
- Lights not responding to app commands
- App crashing or not connecting
- Scheduled timers not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add holiday-themed color presets
- Allow custom color/pattern creation
- Improve music integration
- Add Siri/HomeKit support
- Provide better instructions and troubleshooting


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HME AquaMaster free?

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

### Is Magic free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HME AquaMaster or Magic?

Magic is rated higher. HME AquaMaster averages 1.8 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Magic averages 2.3 from 845 ratings.

### Do HME AquaMaster or Magic have ads?

Neither HME AquaMaster nor Magic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HME AquaMaster or Magic?

HME AquaMaster ships an update every 2 months, and Magic every 5 weeks. Most recently, HME AquaMaster was updated on October 23, 2026 and Magic on October 29, 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.*