Hue Essentials vs Poet3
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hue Essentials
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.
- 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
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Imagine unlimited possibilities in your smart home. Set scenes and fast effects to your mood. Experience Dance Sensation in your entertainment area with Philips Hue Entertainment. Feel more in control with schedules and automation from sunrise to sunset. Control multiple bridges simultaneously without switching between them. Supported devices • Philips Hue bridge • Philips Hue Bluetooth lights • deCONZ (ConBee) • diyHue • LIFX Scenes & effects Create the perfect ambiance from your photos or the included photo library. Experience special animations like lava, fireplace, fireworks, or lightning. Wake up at sunrise and go to sleep at sunset with fading lights. Get into the party on the beats of your music. Sync your lights for a night of disco with strobe effects (updates 25 times/sec). Quick access Create rooms and groups to organize your lights. You can even put a light in several groups. Smart lights & controls The unique ‘Touchlink’ search allows you to find new (3rd party, Zigbee) lights. Use included wizards for easy setup of your devices. You can set scenes, actions, or even multiple scenes on a button to make your switch a real investment. Experience the right ambiance during different times of your day with your motion sensor. All of your creations are stored on the bridge. Easy for you and your family. Advanced Automation allows you to have greater control of your smart home. Turn on your lights when the door opens. Adjust your ventilation when the humidity gets too high. Open or close blinds and curtains based on temperature or sunshine. Make it look like you are at home using 'Away from Home' (out of home control). Communicate directly with your Hue bridge using the API debugger. View technical details of your Hue bridge and update its resources like lights and sensors. You want it all? Fast performance with ad-free experience. Purchase the premium version to unlock full content.
Poet3
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Take a moment out of your day to get creative. Poet3 gives you a simple daily poetry prompt: the first line is shared by everyone, you add the next, and fate decides how it ends. Think of it as a minimalist studio for micro-poetry — quick, three-line verses that fit perfectly into a busy day. If creativity strikes, you can also write longer pieces and save them to your bundle or - if your device supports - use on-device AI to help you write haikus, limericks, free verse and provide helpful analysis of your work. Poet3 is for anyone who loves words, from seasoned poets to first-time writers. With its clean design and daily prompts, it’s the perfect pocket companion to spark creativity anytime.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Poet3 at every 5 days against Hue Essentials's every 2 weeks. Hue Essentials's advantage is device support (5 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Hue Essentials sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Poet3 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Hue Essentials ships an update every 2 weeks, Poet3 every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hue Essentials | Poet3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (141 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 37.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 141 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 271 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Thomas Vos | Peter Elst |
Bugs and requests
Hue Essentials
Reported bugs
4 issues- Fade feature not working
- Saving automations not working
- Crashes when checking 'About' section
- Widgets and Apple Watch app issues
Requested features
4 requests- Repeat/loop function for automations
- Strobing/flashing effects
- Dark mode
- Alexa integration
Poet3
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Hue Essentials
- Effects: Christmas$0.99
- Effects: Universe$0.99
- Effects: Wonders of nature$0.99
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- Effects: Romantic$0.99
- Effects: Floral fantasy$0.99
- Effects: Spooky$0.99
- Multiple bridges$4.99
- Premium$7.99
Poet3
- Poet3 Premium$3.99
Questions
Is Hue Essentials free?
Is Poet3 free?
Do Hue Essentials or Poet3 have ads?
Which is updated more often, Hue Essentials or Poet3?
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