# Hue Essentials vs LumaDeck

The clearest difference is device support: Hue Essentials at 5 against LumaDeck's 3. Hue Essentials also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hue Essentials sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and LumaDeck sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hue Essentials ships an update every 2 weeks, LumaDeck weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hue Essentials | LumaDeck |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (139 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **139** | — |
| Positive reviews | 37.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 271 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) | [KENDRICK JAMES WALLACE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1876130496) |

## 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


### LumaDeck

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumadeck-immersive-light-sync/id6758977004)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Shaman | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pro Upgrade | $6.99 | one-time |
| Volcano Pack 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Volcano Pack 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tiki Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hue Essentials free?

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

### Is LumaDeck free?

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

### Do Hue Essentials or LumaDeck have ads?

Neither Hue Essentials nor LumaDeck shows ads.

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

Hue Essentials ships an update every 2 weeks, and LumaDeck weekly. Most recently, Hue Essentials was updated on October 22, 2026 and LumaDeck on October 17, 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.*