VLC Light Stream vs Hunter NODE
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
VLC Light Stream
Control your holiday lights with custom color themes and patterns. This system allows you to use your existing Christmas light wires by simply swapping out the bulbs and pairing the components.
- Customizable bulb colors
- Create color themes
- Use with existing wires
- Control holiday lighting
- Indoor and outdoor use
Read full descriptionHide full description
Harness the power of infinite possibilities with Light Stream™. Using the Light Stream™ app and Light Stream™ components, you can unleash the magic of the holidays with the click of a button. Have up to six different bulb colors at any given time. You decide whether you want all the bulbs to be the same color or create your own custom color themes. Light Stream™ will give you the freedom you’ve been looking for in a Christmas light. Use it on your roof lines, tree, bushes, or even indoors! Innovative lighting for infinite possibilities of colors and patterns. Unlike competitors wireless lights, our design allows for you to use your existing E12 Christmas wire. Saving you time and money, simply swap your bulbs, pair the components and go! - V-20670 & V-20770: Remote LED Bulbs ( Required - Cannot mix bulbs on the same system ) - V-20671: Controller ( Required ) - V-20672: Switch ( Recommended for larger projects ) Thank you for reading all about the all-new, innovative wireless lighting solution that is Light Stream™. To purchase Light Stream components, please visit Villagelighting.com or VLCWholesale.com for more information.
Hunter NODE
Control your landscape irrigation system remotely via Bluetooth. This app allows for easy programming, scheduling, and monitoring of watering cycles without needing to access the valve box. Manage multiple controllers, set custom schedules, and receive important status updates directly on your smartphone.
- Remote controller management
- Custom watering schedules
- Manual irrigation control
- Sensor activation
- Controller status monitoring
- Offline schedule editing
- Controller event logs
Read full descriptionHide full description
NODE-BT is a Bluetooth®-enabled, app-configured irrigation controller from Hunter Industries that lets you automatically irrigate any plant material lacking AC power and not having to open the valve box! NODE-BT is quick to install, and swift to program and operate. The app provides convenient features originally on NODE, now with new enhancements all accessed from a smartphone. This means no more crossing traffic to get to roadway medians, searching for controllers in overgrown bushes, and opening dirty and potentially dangerous valve boxes. This app allows you to: • Remotely manage unlimited NODE-BT controllers up to 50' (15 m) away • Manually start, stop, or suspend irrigation for up to 99 days • Configure watering schedules with 3 programs and 8 start times each • Activate rain or soil moisture sensors, and set monthly seasonal adjust • See controller status, total watering and next start times, watering calendar, and irrigation logs • View battery health and signal status • Set battery change reminders every 3, 6, 9, or 12 months • Pin controllers on a map for faster locating • Copy and paste schedules from controller to controller for faster setup • View and edit irrigation schedules offline • View controller event logs and share with other members • Assign images and rename stations and controllers • Add a passcode to each controller for additional security The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG Inc. and any use of such marks by Hunter Industries is under license.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Hunter NODE at fortnightly against VLC Light Stream's every 5 months. Hunter NODE also leads on ratings volume (59 vs 8). VLC Light Stream's advantage is review sentiment (40% vs 23%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.1 for VLC Light Stream against 3.1 for Hunter NODE. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hunter NODE has 59 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 40% of VLC Light Stream's written reviews are positive against 23% of Hunter NODE's.
VLC Light Stream ships an update every 5 months, Hunter NODE fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | VLC Light Stream | Hunter NODE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (8 ratings) | 3.1 (59 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews — better | 22.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 | 59 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 127 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Village Lighting | Hunter Industries |
Customer experience
VLC Light Stream
Hunter NODE
In-app purchases
VLC Light Stream
No in-app purchases
Hunter NODE
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is VLC Light Stream free?
Is Hunter NODE free?
Which has better reviews, VLC Light Stream or Hunter NODE?
Do VLC Light Stream or Hunter NODE have ads?
Which is updated more often, VLC Light Stream or Hunter NODE?
Other comparisons















