# Hue Essentials vs CadetCatch

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hue Essentials | CadetCatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (133 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **133** | — |
| Positive reviews | 37.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 269 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) | [DIGITAL SYNC, LLC, THE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1252265729) |

## 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


### CadetCatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cadetcatch/id6769565852)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Family Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| One-Time Photo Check | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock One Photo | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*