# LightMode vs WLED

The clearest difference is rating: WLED at 4.0 against LightMode's 3.5. LightMode's advantage is review sentiment (62% vs 51%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

WLED holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 10 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 62% of LightMode's written reviews are positive against 51% of WLED's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

LightMode ships an update every 5 weeks, WLED every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LightMode | WLED |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightmode/id1602323833/reviews) | **[4.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wled-official-app/id6446207239/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **61.5% of reviews** | 50.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 71 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LightMode Technologies Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1602323835) | [Christophe Gagnier](https://appshunter.io/developer/1676668149) |

## What reviewers say

### LightMode

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightmode/id1602323833)

Control your smart helmet's lighting with custom colors, animations, and brightness. Enhance visibility and safety on the road while expressing your personal style. The app allows you to save presets, monitor battery, and even sync lights to music.

**Highlights:** Customizable colors and animations, Bluetooth device pairing, Preset brightness levels, Music synchronization, Battery life monitoring, Save favorite settings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### WLED

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wled-official-app/id6446207239)

Control and manage all your WLED light devices from your iPhone or iPad. This companion app works with the open-source WLED software for microcontrollers, offering automatic device detection, customizable names, and software update assistance.

**Highlights:** Automatic device detection, Centralized light list, Software update assistant, Customizable device names, Hide or delete devices, Light and dark mode

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works flawlessly for some
- 👍 Free and does the job
- 👍 Great for managing multiple devices
- 👍 Responsive and stable (for some)
- 👍 Cleaner and modern UI

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 Randomly turns on/off
- 🐛 Not user friendly
- 🐛 Glitchy and poorly built
- 🐛 Flickering lights after update

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to connect to LEDs
- Lights randomly turn on
- Connectivity issues, needs re-pairing
- App doesn't work, glitchy
- Brightness control issues

**Requested features**

- User-friendly interface
- Simple interface with advanced option
- Widget features for Home Screen
- Sound react option
- Remote control when away from WiFi


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LightMode free?

LightMode is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is WLED free?

WLED is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, LightMode or WLED?

WLED is rated higher. LightMode averages 3.5 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while WLED averages 4.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do LightMode or WLED have ads?

Neither LightMode nor WLED shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LightMode or WLED?

LightMode ships an update every 5 weeks, and WLED every 2 months. Most recently, LightMode was updated on September 24, 2026 and WLED on October 16, 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.*