# AsteraApp vs WLED

The clearest difference is rating: WLED at 4.0 against AsteraApp's 2.3. WLED also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 28%). AsteraApp's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (51 vs 10). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AsteraApp has 51 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of AsteraApp's written reviews are positive against 51% of WLED's.

AsteraApp ships an update every 3 weeks, WLED every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AsteraApp | WLED |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.3 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asteraapp/id1367867800/reviews) | **[4.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wled-official-app/id6446207239/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **51** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 28.2% of reviews | **50.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 111 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.3** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Astera LED Technology GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1367867799) | [Christophe Gagnier](https://appshunter.io/developer/1676668149) |

## What reviewers say

### AsteraApp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asteraapp/id1367867800)

Control complex lighting setups with customizable programs and effects. Prepare lights for wireless DMX, diagnose, update, and reset them. Features include beat-synced effects, group management, and power-saving standby.

**Highlights:** Customizable programs and effects, Wireless DMX preparation, Light diagnostics and updates, Beat-synced effects (Auto BPM), Group management (Targets), Scheduled Standby, Dynamic PowerBoost

**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 AsteraApp free?

AsteraApp 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, AsteraApp or WLED?

WLED is rated higher. AsteraApp averages 2.3 out of 5 from 51 ratings, while WLED averages 4.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do AsteraApp or WLED have ads?

Neither AsteraApp nor WLED shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AsteraApp or WLED?

AsteraApp ships an update every 3 weeks, and WLED every 2 months. Most recently, AsteraApp was updated on October 8, 2026 and WLED on October 12, 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.*