Comparison

PlashLights vs WLED

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PlashLights

Control RGB and RGBW LED lights with custom colors and pre-programmed patterns. Manage multiple zones and devices wirelessly via Bluetooth. Ideal for vehicles, pools, and entertainment spaces.

Highlights
  • Custom color selection via color wheel
  • 32 pre-programmed flash, fade, and jump patterns
  • Adjustable speed and intensity
  • Control multiple zones with up to 8 devices each
  • Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity
  • Offline mode for learning
Features
Read full description

PlashLights App is a professional-grade lighting controller made in the USA for RGB and RGBW LED lights with the ability to control multiple zones utilizing low energy Bluetooth technology. Engineered for simple control of lighting in boats, off-road vehicles, bars and restaurants, swimming pools, RV's, golf carts, and motorcycles. Use the color wheel to choose your custom color, choose from our 32 programmed flash, fade, and jump patterns, and change the speeds or intensity. Highlights: Menu Tabs/Pages: 1. Direct Color Selection Tab a) Color Selector(RGB/Hue), Wheel Style b) Palette/Preset/Saved Color Icons c) Updates selected color live as user drags d) Brightness Slider e) All elements appear on the same page without scrolling f) RGB color values displayed somewhere, value range is 0 - 255 2. Color Sequence Selection Tab a) Sequence Controls: i. Controls: On/Off, Play/Pause, Previous Sequence, Next Sequence ii. Intensity Slider iii. Speed +/- buttons or slider b) Scrolling rows of sequences, scrolls up c) 32 pre-programmed color sequences d) Clicking an icon triggers a command 3. Home Tab a) Select Zone - all commands are sent to all devices assigned to the currently selected zone. 4. Device Manager Tab a) Bluetooth Pairing and Connecting b) Device Zones i. Up to 8 zones with 8 devices each. ii. Assign currently paired BLE device to zone. Adds it to a list of devices assigned to zone. iii. Rename Zones - Up to 32(or 16) Character string 5. Information Tab a) Plashlights info: URL, phone number, logo, copyright b) App Info: Version, license, creator information c) Currently Connected Device Information Specifications: - Compatibility: bluetooth 4.0 (bluetooth phones of 4.0 or above) - Supports mobile phone system: IOS 6.0 - Operating Voltage: 12~24V DC - Software language: English - Control distance: 65 feet - Working temperature: - 4°F to 185°F - 100% MADE & ASSEMBLED IN USA This is just a small taste of what the PlashLights App can do. Please visit https://plashlights.com for more information. IMPORTANT: - PlashLights App requires external hardware to control lights, but can be used offline as a learning tool. - Multiple zones require multiple unit(s) of hardware.

About

WLED

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
Read full description

With the WLED app, you can easily and efficiently manage and control all your WLED light devices from your iPhone or iPad. This is a companion app for the free and open source WLED software for ESP8266/32 microcontrollers. WLED automatically detects and updates the device list, and offers customizable names, a hide or delete feature, and a light and dark mode. It can also help you install new software updates to your devices. Plus, it supports both phones and tablets. Main Features: - Automatic device detection (mDNS) - All lights are accessible from one list - Software Update Assistant - Custom names - Hide or delete devices - Light and dark mode

Screenshots

PlashLights2 screens
WLED4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PlashLights at 80% against WLED's 51%. PlashLights also leads on rating (3.9 vs 3.5) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). WLED's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 13 months). On price, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PlashLights holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of PlashLights's written reviews are positive against 51% of WLED's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PlashLights ships an update every 13 months, WLED every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
PlashLights versus WLED: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlashLightsWLED
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (11 ratings) — better3.5 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better50.5% of reviews
Number of ratings1112 — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPlashLights LLC.Christophe Gagnier

Customer experience

PlashLights

All ratings10 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

WLED

All ratings10 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive50.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative42.1%

Bugs and requests

PlashLights

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

WLED

Reported bugs

42 issues
  • Unable to connect to LEDs
  • Lights randomly turn on
  • Connectivity issues, needs re-pairing
  • App doesn't work, glitchy
  • Brightness control issues
Show 37 more
  • Lights flicker after update
  • Cannot find discover lights option
  • Not connected to iPhone, setup issues
  • App won't load, vanishes
  • None of my devices show up
  • Shows up blank, manual add only
  • No longer finds WLED devices
  • App doesn't work, no devices showing
  • Confusing app, turns off
  • App is unusable after update, errors
  • App stopped picking up signal
  • Only connects when at home
  • Doesn't pick up esp8266
  • Sound react option missing
  • Time and macros section not working
  • Update won't update
  • Goes offline from time to time
  • Update breaks app, beta works
  • Drops connection, cannot adjust lights
  • Latest release freezes, unstable wifi
  • Loading WLED UI stuck
  • Inconsistent connection after new update
  • Lost all config after update
  • Lost all presets after update
  • Devices missing and disappearing
  • Update ruined everything, random disconnects
  • App constantly crashes, won't load
  • Stopped working after update
  • New upgrade feature killed device
  • Inconsistent, can't find boards
  • Cannot connect lights, IP address doesn't work
  • Missing schedule function
  • App doesn't work at all
  • Doesn't work properly with WLED 0.14
  • App won't allow changing anything, freezes
  • Hidden devices reappear
  • App goes offline and never connects again

Requested features

6 requests
  • User-friendly interface
  • Simple interface with advanced option
  • Widget features for Home Screen
  • Sound react option
  • Remote control when away from WiFi
Show 1 more
  • Timer or schedule function

In-app purchases

None

PlashLights

No in-app purchases

None

WLED

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PlashLights free?
PlashLights 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, PlashLights or WLED?
PlashLights is rated higher. PlashLights averages 3.9 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while WLED averages 3.5 from 12 ratings.
Do PlashLights or WLED have ads?
Neither PlashLights nor WLED shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PlashLights or WLED?
PlashLights ships an update every 13 months, and WLED every 2 months. Most recently, PlashLights was updated on October 21, 2026 and WLED on October 20, 2026.

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