Hue Essentials vs WLEDController
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hue Essentials
Transform your smart home with dynamic scenes and automated lighting. Control multiple bridges, sync lights to music, and create custom schedules for ambiance and security. Unlock advanced features for a personalized smart home experience.
- Create custom scenes and effects
- Sync lights with music
- Automated schedules and routines
- Control multiple Hue bridges
- Support for deCONZ and diyHue
- Remote home control
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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.
WLEDController
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DESCRIPTION WLED Controller is an unofficial companion app for open-source WLED LED firmware. Manage your LED strips and matrices on the same Wi‑Fi network — no account and no cloud required. Features • Discover WLED devices via Bonjour, or add by IP • Power, brightness, and three color slots (Fx / Bg / Custom) • Quick colors, HEX entry, and palettes • Effects with speed and intensity • Segments, presets, and playlists • Settings pages aligned with the WLED web UI • Apple Shortcuts and Siri • Demo Mode to explore the app without hardware • Optimized for iPhone and iPad (sidebar on larger screens) Requirements • A device running WLED on your local network (or use Demo Mode) • Local Network permission • iOS 17+ / iPadOS 17+ This app is not affiliated with the official WLED project.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WLEDController at none against Hue Essentials's 8. Hue Essentials's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks) and device support (5 vs 2). On price and ads 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
Both are free to download. Hue Essentials sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. WLEDController asks for nothing beyond the download.
Hue Essentials ships an update fortnightly, WLEDController every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hue Essentials | WLEDController |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (144 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 37.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 144 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 271 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Thomas Vos | Mohammed Hasan Ali |
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
WLEDController
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Hue Essentials
- Effects: Christmas$0.99
- Effects: Universe$0.99
- Effects: Wonders of nature$0.99
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- Effects: Romantic$0.99
- Effects: Floral fantasy$0.99
- Effects: Spooky$0.99
- Multiple bridges$4.99
- Premium$7.99
WLEDController
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Hue Essentials free?
Is WLEDController free?
Do Hue Essentials or WLEDController have ads?
Which is updated more often, Hue Essentials or WLEDController?
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