Comparison

Hue Essentials vs CadetCatch

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

CadetCatch

Features
Read full description

CadetCatch helps Coast Guard Academy families keep up with cadet photos without digging through every gallery by hand. Create a private roster on your iPhone, add approved photo pages, check those pages for possible face matches, review match details, view selected results, save likely finds, and keep simple notes for family follow-up. CadetCatch checks only photo pages you add or enable. Private albums stay private unless you choose to share an accessible link. Privacy Policy: https://eb28.co/cc/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Hue Essentials4 screens
CadetCatch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hue Essentials at every 2 weeks against CadetCatch's every 6 weeks. Hue Essentials also leads on device support (5 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). 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 CadetCatch sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hue Essentials ships an update every 2 weeks, CadetCatch every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Hue Essentials versus CadetCatch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHue EssentialsCadetCatch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (133 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews37.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings133 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size269 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThomas VosDIGITAL SYNC, LLC, THE

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

CadetCatch

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
3 purchases

CadetCatch

Subscriptions1
  • Family Monthly$12.991 Month
One-time2
  • One-Time Photo Check$1.99
  • Unlock One Photo$1.99

Questions

Is Hue Essentials free?
Hue Essentials is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CadetCatch free?
CadetCatch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Hue Essentials or CadetCatch have ads?
Neither Hue Essentials nor CadetCatch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hue Essentials or CadetCatch?
Hue Essentials ships an update every 2 weeks, and CadetCatch every 6 weeks. Most recently, Hue Essentials was updated on September 24, 2026 and CadetCatch on September 9, 2026.

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