Alpena Auto vs Hostrol Smart
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Alpena Auto
This app allows you to control Alpena® automotive LED lighting products. Adjust power, dimming, and colors for RGB devices, and set up custom presets. Requires Bluetooth 4.0 or higher.
- Control power
- Adjust dimming levels
- Select RGB colors
- Program preset options
- Bluetooth 4.0+ connectivity
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The Alpena® Command Center application is a specialized application designed to operate Alpena® automotive LED lighting products. Control power, dimming levels, colour selection on RGB devices and program easy to use preset options. Requires Bluetooth 4.0 and up for communication.
Hostrol Smart
Personalize your car's interior lighting with a wide range of colors and dynamic effects. Sync lighting to music, customize modes, and express your style on the road.
- Customizable interior lighting colors
- Music synchronization for lighting effects
- Velocity-based lighting adjustments
- DIY mode for personalized settings
- Color wheel for precise color selection
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To serve global car owners with heart and soul Color Your Life We hope Hostrol Smart can make your life full of color. Find your original heartbeat with a dreamlike feeling! 【Color】The color you desire in life! Just switch, until you like it! 【Music】A melody that moves the heart. Dream’s color dances with music. That is a perfect match between music and color, awesome! 【Velocity】: Dream race. People need someone to see what they pursue in their passionate life. Get brighter when faster! We witness your trip! 【DIY】Do It Yourself! Just customize your mode, be different! 【Color Wheel】-Dreamlike Start! You can pick all the dream’s colors! 【My issue】: God! Satisfying you is our most faithful dream.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Hostrol Smart at 3.0 against Alpena Auto's 1.7. Hostrol Smart also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). Alpena Auto's advantage is ratings volume (125 vs 4) and review sentiment (13% vs 0%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Hostrol Smart holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Alpena Auto has 125 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 13% of Alpena Auto's written reviews are positive against 0% of Hostrol Smart's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Alpena Auto ships an update every 6 months, Hostrol Smart every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Alpena Auto | Hostrol Smart |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.7 (125 ratings) | 3.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 12.5% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 125 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 47 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Marklyn Group Inc | Shenzhen Sangshen E-commerce Co., Ltd. |
Customer experience
Alpena Auto
Hostrol Smart
Bugs and requests
Alpena Auto
Reported bugs
16 issues- App won't connect to found devices after scanning
- Clicking on found devices produces no response
- Lights show as connected but cannot be controlled
- Color selection limited to white after updates
- App freezes when switching between multiple light sets
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- Bluetooth signal drops to 1 bar and disconnects automatically
- Lights turn off in wet conditions despite showing connected status
- App won't turn off lights (power glitch)
- Lights flicker when engine is idling
- App crashes when music is playing in background
- Update 2.1 prevents clicking on lights in app
- App stuck on v1 and won't update to v2
- Incompatibility with iOS 16 and iOS 17
- Lights flash white and disappear from app after selecting twinkle mode
- Module stops sending Bluetooth signal after short period
- Color wheel colors appear dull or don't work as advertised
Requested features
8 requests- Custom scene/pattern creation in app
- Music synchronization with lights
- Better app navigation and menu structure
- Strobe light functionality
- Ability to control multiple light sets without switching
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- Improved documentation and user manual in app
- Compatibility information for different products
- Auto-off timer to prevent battery drain
Hostrol Smart
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Alpena Auto
No in-app purchases
Hostrol Smart
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Alpena Auto free?
Is Hostrol Smart free?
Which has better reviews, Alpena Auto or Hostrol Smart?
Do Alpena Auto or Hostrol Smart have ads?
Which is updated more often, Alpena Auto or Hostrol Smart?
Other comparisons
