Comparison

Smartlights countdown vs WLED

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

Head to head
About

Smartlights countdown

Control Christmas projectors with Bluetooth, set custom countdown dates and titles, and read time. Get technical support directly from the developer.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth connectivity
  • Projector password function
  • Read time in phone
  • Calculate Christmas distance
  • Set custom countdown dates
  • Type custom titles for countdowns
Features
Read full description

This is a two in one App which can control “Countdown to Christmas projector” and “Countdown to Christmas and More projector”. Includes Bluetooth connectivity, projector password function, read time in phone and calculate the distance of Christmas function. For “Countdown to Christmas and More projector” you can not only countdown to Christmas but also set the date which you want and typing a title for it. If you need technical guidance, the App has contact information with Gemmy company in the page which can enter from the button in the lower right corner.

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

Smartlights countdown4 screens
WLED4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: WLED at 4.0 against Smartlights countdown's 2.5. WLED also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 25%). Smartlights countdown's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Smartlights countdown'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 October 13, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Smartlights countdown versus WLED: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmartlights countdownWLED
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (20 ratings)4.0 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews50.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings20 — better10
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGemmy Industries CorporationChristophe Gagnier

Customer experience

Smartlights countdown

All ratings20 ratings
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

WLED

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

Bugs and requests

Smartlights countdown

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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

Smartlights countdown

No in-app purchases

None

WLED

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Smartlights countdown free?
Smartlights countdown 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, Smartlights countdown or WLED?
WLED is rated higher. Smartlights countdown averages 2.5 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while WLED averages 4.0 from 10 ratings.
Do Smartlights countdown or WLED have ads?
Neither Smartlights countdown nor WLED shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Smartlights countdown or WLED?
Smartlights countdown ships an update every 2 months, and WLED every 2 months. Most recently, Smartlights countdown was updated on October 13, 2026 and WLED on October 16, 2026.

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