# HSBuddy vs Hue Essentials

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.

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

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | HSBuddy | Hue Essentials |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hsbuddy/id1317682478/reviews)** | [4.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 29 | **138** |
| Positive reviews | **76.5% of reviews** | 37.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 60 MB | 271 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Antonio Vargas Garcia](https://appshunter.io/developer/1317682477) | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) |

## What reviewers say

### HSBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hsbuddy/id1317682478)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**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 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.

---

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