# Magic Hue Bluetooth vs Hue Essentials

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Magic Hue Bluetooth at none against Hue Essentials's 8. Magic Hue Bluetooth also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Hue Essentials's advantage is rating (4.1 vs 3.7) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hue Essentials sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Magic Hue Bluetooth asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hue Essentials holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hue Essentials has 133 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Magic Hue Bluetooth's written reviews are positive against 37% of Hue Essentials's.

Magic Hue Bluetooth ships an update every 2 months, Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magic Hue Bluetooth | Hue Essentials |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-hue-bluetooth/id1218777307/reviews) | **[4.1 (133 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **133** |
| Positive reviews | 16.7% of reviews | **37.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 12 MB | 269 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [明长 周](https://appshunter.io/developer/595148652) | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) |

## What reviewers say

### Magic Hue Bluetooth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-hue-bluetooth/id1218777307)

Control smart bulbs with your phone via Bluetooth. Adjust color, brightness, and set dynamic lighting scenes like flowing colors or music synchronization. Automate on/off times for personalized ambiance.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth Low Energy control, Color and brightness adjustment, Dynamic scene lighting, Music synchronization, Scheduled on/off times

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Hue Essentials

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921)

Unlock the full potential of your smart lighting system. Create custom scenes, dynamic effects, and automate your lights with schedules and triggers. Control multiple smart home bridges and devices seamlessly for a personalized ambiance.

**Highlights:** Custom scenes and effects, Music and entertainment sync, Sunrise/sunset automation, Multi-bridge control, Device discovery and setup, Button and sensor automation, Away from home control

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Effects: Christmas | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Universe | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Wonders of nature | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Romantic | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Floral fantasy | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Spooky | $0.99 | one-time |
| Multiple bridges | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent Hue lighting control
- 👍 Works well with multiple bridges
- 💡 Customizable remote controls
- 🚀 Faster than official Hue app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔒 In-app purchases required for key features
- 👎 Poor execution and user experience
- 🔋 Widgets and Apple Watch app not working

**Reported bugs**

- Fade feature not working
- Saving automations not working
- Crashes when checking 'About' section
- Widgets and Apple Watch app issues

**Requested features**

- Repeat/loop function for automations
- Strobing/flashing effects
- Dark mode
- Alexa integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magic Hue Bluetooth free?

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

### Is Hue Essentials free?

Hue Essentials is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Magic Hue Bluetooth or Hue Essentials?

Hue Essentials is rated higher. Magic Hue Bluetooth averages 3.7 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Hue Essentials averages 4.1 from 133 ratings.

### Do Magic Hue Bluetooth or Hue Essentials have ads?

Neither Magic Hue Bluetooth nor Hue Essentials shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Magic Hue Bluetooth or Hue Essentials?

Magic Hue Bluetooth ships an update every 2 months, and Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. Most recently, Magic Hue Bluetooth was updated on June 10, 2026 and Hue Essentials on September 24, 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.*