# Hue Essentials vs VIVE Manager

The clearest difference is rating: Hue Essentials at 4.2 against VIVE Manager's 1.9. Hue Essentials also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). VIVE Manager's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price there is nothing between them.

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

Hue Essentials holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hue Essentials has 138 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of Hue Essentials's written reviews are positive against 29% of VIVE Manager's.

Hue Essentials ships an update every 2 weeks, VIVE Manager every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hue Essentials | VIVE Manager |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews)** | [1.9 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vive-manager/id1568995919/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **138** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | **37.2% of reviews** | 28.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 271 MB | 128 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) | [HTC Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/920371593) |

## 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


### VIVE Manager

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vive-manager/id1568995919)

This app allows you to remotely manage your VR devices, including setup, firmware updates, and Wi-Fi configuration. You can also explore and discover premium VR applications and events directly through the integrated app store.

**Highlights:** Remote device setup, Firmware updates, Wi-Fi configuration, VR AppStore browsing, VR event discovery, Device monitoring

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hue Essentials free?

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

### Is VIVE Manager free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hue Essentials or VIVE Manager?

Hue Essentials is rated higher. Hue Essentials averages 4.2 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while VIVE Manager averages 1.9 from 14 ratings.

### Do Hue Essentials or VIVE Manager have ads?

VIVE Manager shows ads; Hue Essentials does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hue Essentials or VIVE Manager?

Hue Essentials ships an update every 2 weeks, and VIVE Manager every 3 months. Most recently, Hue Essentials was updated on October 3, 2026 and VIVE Manager on September 26, 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.*