# Hue Essentials vs FancyLink

The clearest difference is rating: Hue Essentials at 4.2 against FancyLink's 2.0. Hue Essentials also leads on review sentiment (38% vs 20%) and ratings volume (138 vs 6). FancyLink's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Hue Essentials holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hue Essentials has 138 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Hue Essentials's written reviews are positive against 20% of FancyLink's.

Hue Essentials ships an update every 2 weeks, FancyLink monthly. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hue Essentials | FancyLink |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews)** | [2.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fancylink/id6474062853/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **138** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **37.8% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 271 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) | [Bweetech Electronics Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1582918718) |

## 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


### FancyLink

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fancylink/id6474062853)

Manage and control your entire home lighting system with a brand-new UI and innovative smart functions. Experience a novel user interaction for a beautiful and illuminated life.

**Highlights:** Brand-new UI design, Novel UE interaction experience, Innovative smart control functions, Comprehensive home lighting management, Smart lighting for beautiful living

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, 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 FancyLink free?

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

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

Hue Essentials is rated higher. Hue Essentials averages 4.2 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while FancyLink averages 2.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Hue Essentials or FancyLink have ads?

Neither Hue Essentials nor FancyLink shows ads.

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

Hue Essentials ships an update every 2 weeks, and FancyLink monthly. Most recently, Hue Essentials was updated on October 20, 2026 and FancyLink on October 20, 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.*