# Desana vs Hue Essentials

The clearest difference is rating: Hue Essentials at 4.2 against Desana's 2.5. Hue Essentials also leads on ratings volume (138 vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). Desana's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8). On price, review sentiment, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Hue Essentials holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hue Essentials has 138 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of Desana'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.

Desana ships an update monthly, Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Desana | Hue Essentials |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desana/id1454550147/reviews) | **[4.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **138** |
| Positive reviews | **40.0% of reviews** | 37.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 72 MB | 271 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Desana Network Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1375743419) | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) |

## What reviewers say

### Desana

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desana/id1454550147)

Access a global network of coworking spaces with a single subscription. Empower your employees with the flexibility to work from diverse and inspiring locations worldwide, fostering productivity and well-being.

**Highlights:** Access to a global coworking network, Seamless transitions between spaces, Flexible work locations, Employee freedom and choice, Work from new and interesting places

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, 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 Desana free?

Desana 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, Desana or Hue Essentials?

Hue Essentials is rated higher. Desana averages 2.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Hue Essentials averages 4.2 from 138 ratings.

### Do Desana or Hue Essentials have ads?

Neither Desana nor Hue Essentials shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Desana or Hue Essentials?

Desana ships an update monthly, and Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. Most recently, Desana was updated on September 27, 2026 and Hue Essentials on October 3, 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.*