# HC vs LightElf

The clearest difference is rating: LightElf at 3.0 against HC's 1.4. On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

LightElf holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 1.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 20 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of HC's written reviews are positive against 15% of LightElf's.

HC ships an update every 2 months, LightElf every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HC | LightElf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hc-led/id1456460121/reviews) | **[3.0 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightelf/id6475085602/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **20** |
| Positive reviews | 12.5% of reviews | **15.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 29 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [宇立 叶](https://appshunter.io/developer/1456460120) | [广文 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1723107479) |

## What reviewers say

### HC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hc-led/id1456460121)

This application is designed to work with the Xin Yi Hao Cai (HC) series of control cards. It supports various models for animated grayscale full-color, video-level high grayscale full-color, and video-level high grayscale monochrome displays.

**Highlights:** Supports HC-1 control cards, Supports HC-3 control cards, Supports XY-3 control cards, Animated grayscale full-color display, Video-level high grayscale full-color display, Video-level high grayscale monochrome display

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### LightElf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightelf/id6475085602)

Control Bluetooth-connected laser light devices to customize display parameters. Features include hand-drawn graffiti functionality for personalized light shows.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth laser light control, Display parameter customization, Hand-drawn graffiti feature, Personalized light shows

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HC free?

HC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is LightElf free?

LightElf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, HC or LightElf?

LightElf is rated higher. HC averages 1.4 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while LightElf averages 3.0 from 20 ratings.

### Do HC or LightElf have ads?

Neither HC nor LightElf shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HC or LightElf?

HC ships an update every 2 months, and LightElf every 3 weeks. Most recently, HC was updated on October 12, 2026 and LightElf on October 5, 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.*