# Smartlights countdown vs WLED

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.

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

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.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smartlights countdown | WLED |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.5 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartlights-countdown/id1248150372/reviews) | **[4.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wled-official-app/id6446207239/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **50.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 2 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gemmy Industries Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/889851671) | [Christophe Gagnier](https://appshunter.io/developer/1676668149) |

## What reviewers say

### Smartlights countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartlights-countdown/id1248150372)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### WLED

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wled-official-app/id6446207239)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works flawlessly for some
- 👍 Free and does the job
- 👍 Great for managing multiple devices
- 👍 Responsive and stable (for some)
- 👍 Cleaner and modern UI

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 Randomly turns on/off
- 🐛 Not user friendly
- 🐛 Glitchy and poorly built
- 🐛 Flickering lights after update

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to connect to LEDs
- Lights randomly turn on
- Connectivity issues, needs re-pairing
- App doesn't work, glitchy
- Brightness control issues

**Requested features**

- User-friendly interface
- Simple interface with advanced option
- Widget features for Home Screen
- Sound react option
- Remote control when away from WiFi


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*