# M1 Touch Cloud vs Hue Essentials

The clearest difference is review sentiment: M1 Touch Cloud at 71% against Hue Essentials's 37%. M1 Touch Cloud also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Hue Essentials's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and rating (4.1 vs 3.8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. M1 Touch Cloud sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Hue Essentials sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hue Essentials holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hue Essentials has 133 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of M1 Touch Cloud's written reviews are positive against 37% of Hue Essentials's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

M1 Touch Cloud ships an update every 2 months, Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | M1 Touch Cloud | Hue Essentials |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/m1-touch-cloud/id1449350123/reviews) | **[4.1 (133 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **133** |
| Positive reviews | **70.6% of reviews** | 37.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 11 MB | 269 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PlanetM1 Cloud Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1449350122) | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) |

## What reviewers say

### M1 Touch Cloud

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/m1-touch-cloud/id1449350123)

Control your M1 or EZ panel remotely from your iOS device. Manage security, lighting, and thermostats with real-time status updates and notifications. Supports multiple users and offers flexible monthly or annual in-app purchases for cloud service.

**Highlights:** Remote M1/EZ panel control, Real-time zone and output status, Arm/disarm security system, Lighting and thermostat control, Push notifications, Cloud connection (no port forwarding), Multiple family member access

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 30 Day Connection | $2.99 | one-time |
| 120 Day Connection | $9.99 | one-time |
| 365 Day Connection | $25.99 | one-time |


### 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 M1 Touch Cloud free?

M1 Touch Cloud is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Hue Essentials free?

Hue Essentials is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, M1 Touch Cloud or Hue Essentials?

Hue Essentials is rated higher. M1 Touch Cloud averages 3.8 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Hue Essentials averages 4.1 from 133 ratings.

### Do M1 Touch Cloud or Hue Essentials have ads?

Neither M1 Touch Cloud nor Hue Essentials shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, M1 Touch Cloud or Hue Essentials?

M1 Touch Cloud ships an update every 2 months, and Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. Most recently, M1 Touch Cloud was updated on September 7, 2026 and Hue Essentials on September 24, 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.*