Comparison

HSBuddy vs Hue Essentials

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

Head to head
About

HSBuddy

Control your HomeSeer home automation system from your mobile device and Apple Watch. Manage devices, run events, view camera feeds, and create custom dashboards. Automate tasks with Siri shortcuts and widgets.

Highlights
  • Control and edit devices
  • Run and edit events
  • View camera feeds
  • Customizable dashboards
  • Siri shortcuts
  • Home Screen widgets
  • Push notifications
Features
Read full description

HSBuddy is a free application for iOS® that turns your mobile device into the ultimate companion for your HomeSeer® home automation system. With the included Apple Watch companion app you can take control of your home from your wrist! Certain features require an additional HomeSeer controller plug-in which you can install from the plug-in manager in your HomeSeer configuration pages. Look for HSBuddy under the User Interfaces section. Complement your home automation experience and use HSBuddy to: • Control and edit devices • Run and edit events • View history of device state changes * • View images from your home cameras ** • Create your own customized dashboards • Speed up your daily automation tasks » Create Siri shortcuts » Place Widgets for your Home Screen • Send push-notifications to your devices as part of your server events • Browse your HomeSeer server logs * • Enable geo-location on the app and location-based events * • Automatically switch between local-WiFi and remote connectivity to your server based on your location. • Connect to multiple HomeSeer servers and switch quickly between them • Use Smart Tags to quickly control a device or run an event by tapping a tag with your phone *Requires installing the free HSBuddy HomeSeer controller plug-in **Compatible with some existing HomeSeer controller camera plug-ins To use this app you need a running instance of HomeSeer. To find out more, visit http://www.homeseer.com For more information and troubleshooting help, go to http://hsbuddy.avglabs.net

About

Hue Essentials

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
Read full description

Imagine unlimited possibilities in your smart home. Set scenes and fast effects to your mood. Experience Dance Sensation in your entertainment area with Philips Hue Entertainment. Feel more in control with schedules and automation from sunrise to sunset. Control multiple bridges simultaneously without switching between them. Supported devices • Philips Hue bridge • Philips Hue Bluetooth lights • deCONZ (ConBee) • diyHue • LIFX Scenes & effects Create the perfect ambiance from your photos or the included photo library. Experience special animations like lava, fireplace, fireworks, or lightning. Wake up at sunrise and go to sleep at sunset with fading lights. Get into the party on the beats of your music. Sync your lights for a night of disco with strobe effects (updates 25 times/sec). Quick access Create rooms and groups to organize your lights. You can even put a light in several groups. Smart lights & controls The unique ‘Touchlink’ search allows you to find new (3rd party, Zigbee) lights. Use included wizards for easy setup of your devices. You can set scenes, actions, or even multiple scenes on a button to make your switch a real investment. Experience the right ambiance during different times of your day with your motion sensor. All of your creations are stored on the bridge. Easy for you and your family. Advanced Automation allows you to have greater control of your smart home. Turn on your lights when the door opens. Adjust your ventilation when the humidity gets too high. Open or close blinds and curtains based on temperature or sunshine. Make it look like you are at home using 'Away from Home' (out of home control). Communicate directly with your Hue bridge using the API debugger. View technical details of your Hue bridge and update its resources like lights and sensors. You want it all? Fast performance with ad-free experience. Purchase the premium version to unlock full content.

Screenshots

HSBuddy4 screens
Hue Essentials4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HSBuddy at 76% against Hue Essentials's 38%. HSBuddy also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 8) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). Hue Essentials's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (138 vs 29). On price, ads and device support 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. Hue Essentials sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. HSBuddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HSBuddy holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 29 and 138 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of HSBuddy's written reviews are positive against 38% of Hue Essentials's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HSBuddy ships an update every 2 months, Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
HSBuddy versus Hue Essentials: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHSBuddyHue Essentials
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (29 ratings) — better4.2 (138 ratings)
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews — better37.8% of reviews
Number of ratings29138 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB271 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAntonio Vargas GarciaThomas Vos

Customer experience

HSBuddy

All ratings29 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative10.3%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral5.9%
Negative17.6%

Hue Essentials

All ratings138 ratings
Positive77.5%
Neutral7.2%
Negative15.2%
Written reviews241 reviews
Positive37.8%
Neutral8.3%
Negative53.9%

Bugs and requests

HSBuddy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Hue Essentials

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

4 requests
  • Repeat/loop function for automations
  • Strobing/flashing effects
  • Dark mode
  • Alexa integration

In-app purchases

None

HSBuddy

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Hue Essentials

One-time8
  • Effects: Christmas$0.99
  • Effects: Universe$0.99
  • Effects: Wonders of nature$0.99
Show 5 more
  • Effects: Romantic$0.99
  • Effects: Floral fantasy$0.99
  • Effects: Spooky$0.99
  • Multiple bridges$4.99
  • Premium$7.99

Questions

Is HSBuddy free?
HSBuddy 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, HSBuddy or Hue Essentials?
HSBuddy is rated higher. HSBuddy averages 4.6 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Hue Essentials averages 4.2 from 138 ratings.
Do HSBuddy or Hue Essentials have ads?
Neither HSBuddy nor Hue Essentials shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HSBuddy or Hue Essentials?
HSBuddy ships an update every 2 months, and Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. Most recently, HSBuddy was updated on October 7, 2026 and Hue Essentials on October 14, 2026.

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