Comparison

Hue Essentials vs Poet3

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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.

About

Poet3

Features
Read full description

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

Hue Essentials4 screens
Poet34 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Hue Essentials versus Poet3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHue EssentialsPoet3
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (141 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews37.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings141 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size271 MB6 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperThomas VosPeter 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

8 purchases

Hue Essentials

One-time8
  • Effects: Christmas$0.99
  • Effects: Universe$0.99
  • Effects: Wonders of nature$0.99
Show 5 more
  • Effects: Romantic$0.99
  • Effects: Floral fantasy$0.99
  • Effects: Spooky$0.99
  • Multiple bridges$4.99
  • Premium$7.99
1 purchases

Poet3

One-time1
  • Poet3 Premium$3.99

Questions

Is Hue Essentials free?
Hue Essentials is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Poet3 free?
Poet3 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Hue Essentials or Poet3 have ads?
Neither Hue Essentials nor Poet3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hue Essentials or Poet3?
Hue Essentials ships an update every 2 weeks, and Poet3 every 5 days. Most recently, Hue Essentials was updated on October 26, 2026 and Poet3 on October 9, 2026.

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