# Hue Essentials vs 52Dates

The clearest difference is update cadence: 52Dates at every 2 days against Hue Essentials's every 2 weeks. Hue Essentials's advantage is device support (5 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hue Essentials sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and 52Dates sells 10 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, 52Dates every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hue Essentials | 52Dates |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **138** | — |
| Positive reviews | 37.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 271 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) | [Aslan Innovations](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896633826) |

## 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


### 52Dates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/52dates/id6769147427)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to Ultimate Outdoor & | $0.99 | one-time |
| Creative Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Entertainment Starter Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Entertainment Date Idea Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Ultimate Outdoor & | $2.99 | one-time |
| Creative Big Box | $2.99 | one-time |
| Entertainment Big Box | $2.99 | one-time |
| Entertainment Date Big Box | $2.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Home & Food Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Entertainment & Adventure | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hue Essentials free?

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

### Is 52Dates free?

52Dates is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Hue Essentials or 52Dates have ads?

Neither Hue Essentials nor 52Dates shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hue Essentials or 52Dates?

Hue Essentials ships an update every 2 weeks, and 52Dates every 2 days. Most recently, Hue Essentials was updated on October 14, 2026 and 52Dates on October 10, 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.*