# Hao Deng vs Smart Elfin

The clearest difference is rating: Hao Deng at 2.7 against Smart Elfin's 1.4. Hao Deng also leads on review sentiment (36% vs 5%). Smart Elfin's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Hao Deng holds the better App Store score, 2.7 against 1.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 83 and 139 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Hao Deng's written reviews are positive against 5% of Smart Elfin's.

Hao Deng ships an update every 6 weeks, Smart Elfin fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hao Deng | Smart Elfin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.7 (83 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hao-deng/id1347091886/reviews)** | [1.4 (139 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-elfin/id1440248237/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 83 | **139** |
| Positive reviews | **36.5% of reviews** | 4.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 40 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JM Zengge Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1454768668) | [Quspeed Future Artificial Intelligence Technology Guangzhou Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1440248236) |

## What reviewers say

### Hao Deng

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hao-deng/id1347091886)

Effortlessly manage your smart LED lights with a vast array of color and brightness options. Create custom scenes, group bulbs by room, and utilize security or wake-up lighting features. Sync lights to music or ambient room colors for a dynamic experience.

**Highlights:** 16 million color choices, Brightness control, Customizable scenes, Multi-room grouping, Security lighting timers, Wake-up/turn-down lighting, Music sync (MIC mode), Camera color detection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Smart Elfin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-elfin/id1440248237)

Control smart home devices like lights and fans via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Manage power, brightness, color temperature, and fan speed. Schedule automatic turn-off times for convenience.

**Highlights:** Device power on/off, Adjust light brightness, Adjust color temperature, Control fan speed, Scheduled shutdown timers, Quick device setup

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Works sometimes
- 👍 Good for price (rarely)

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ Does not work
- 🐛 Crashing frequently
- ❌ Connection issues
- ❌ Language barriers (Chinese/Japanese)
- ❌ Registration/Login problems

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup
- Bluetooth not detected or enabled
- App says update needed but none available
- Language changes to Chinese/Japanese unexpectedly
- Cannot register or log in

**Requested features**

- Adjust brightness in pulsating mode
- Lighter/darker color options
- Improve app for US market
- Provide clear instructions/tutorials
- Fix language issues (English support)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hao Deng free?

Hao Deng is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Smart Elfin free?

Smart Elfin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hao Deng or Smart Elfin?

Hao Deng is rated higher. Hao Deng averages 2.7 out of 5 from 83 ratings, while Smart Elfin averages 1.4 from 139 ratings.

### Do Hao Deng or Smart Elfin have ads?

Neither Hao Deng nor Smart Elfin shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hao Deng or Smart Elfin?

Hao Deng ships an update every 6 weeks, and Smart Elfin fortnightly. Most recently, Hao Deng was updated on October 13, 2026 and Smart Elfin on October 19, 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.*