# Hue Essentials vs Fliteboard

The clearest difference is rating: Hue Essentials at 4.2 against Fliteboard's 3.1. Hue Essentials also leads on ratings volume (138 vs 21) and device support (5 vs 3). Fliteboard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and review sentiment (58% vs 38%). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Hue Essentials holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hue Essentials has 138 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 38% of Hue Essentials's written reviews are positive against 58% of Fliteboard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Hue Essentials ships an update every 2 weeks, Fliteboard every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hue Essentials | Fliteboard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews)** | [3.1 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fliteboard/id1499441319/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **138** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | 37.8% of reviews | **58.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 271 MB | 102 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) | [Fliteboard Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499441318) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Fliteboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fliteboard/id1499441319)

Enhance your assisted foiling experience with performance analytics, wave riding data, and video guides. Connect with a global community to share riding spots, view sessions, and compete on leaderboards. Keep your equipment updated with the latest software for an improved on and off-water experience.

**Highlights:** Performance analytics, Wave riding data, Video guides, Community sharing, Global leaderboards, Warranty registration, Software updates

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hue Essentials free?

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

### Is Fliteboard free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hue Essentials or Fliteboard?

Hue Essentials is rated higher. Hue Essentials averages 4.2 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Fliteboard averages 3.1 from 21 ratings.

### Do Hue Essentials or Fliteboard have ads?

Neither Hue Essentials nor Fliteboard shows ads.

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

Hue Essentials ships an update every 2 weeks, and Fliteboard every 4 weeks. Most recently, Hue Essentials was updated on October 17, 2026 and Fliteboard on October 12, 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.*