Comparison

AsteraNext vs WLED

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

AsteraNext

Control complex lighting setups with intuitive tools for creating custom programs and effects. Manage DMX addresses, diagnose and update fixtures, and ensure seamless runtime for your productions.

Highlights
  • Intuitive lighting control
  • Customizable programs and effects
  • DMX address and footprint setup
  • Fixture diagnosis and updates
  • Layer effects for pixel control
  • Scheduled standby mode
Features
Read full description

The AsteraNext offers intuitive and fast control of complex lighting setups of current and upcoming Astera products. It provides fully customizable programs and effects and also it is designed to work seamlessly with other control methods. It can set up DMX addresses and footprints for CRMX control. In addition, lamps can be diagnosed, updated or reset from the AsteraNext. Here are some of the features: Layer Effects It is now easier than ever to control pixels of your Astera lights and create complex effects. CRMX Support That would make it much easier for customers to understand how the DMX works, also easier to operate the CRMX module. Talkback+ Detect all available lights, set them up, check their status, configure DMX addresses and DMX profiles. Seamless Runtime Set the length of your production and be sure that your lights won`t run out while still getting the maximum brightness. Effects Quickly build programs out of colors and effects, trigger them or make them match a beat. Targets Quickly create groups of lights, assign positions and select which lights should receive commands. Scheduled StandBy Switch lights into power-saving standby and schedule them to wake up when the production starts. Dynamic PowerBoost This exclusive feature makes the light able to display the maximum brightness at all time and intensify non-white colors. Green/Magenta Correction Adjust green/magenta during content creation to reduce postproduction work. Emergency Lights Switches to white light when AC power is cut to keep your event save DJ Feature Auto BPM analyzes the beat and matches programs to it, flash buttons can trigger special effects while being held down. Other Features The AsteraNext is packed with many additional items and new features are frequently added via software update.

About

WLED

Control your smart LED lights directly from your iPhone or iPad. This app automatically discovers your WLED devices on Wi-Fi, allowing you to manage power, brightness, colors, and effects. It also supports voice commands and one-tap software updates for your controllers.

Highlights
  • Automatic Wi-Fi Discovery
  • Live Status & Controls
  • Home Screen Widgets
  • Siri & Shortcuts Integration
  • One-Tap Device Updates
  • Customizable Device Organization
Features
Read full description

Take full control of your WLED light devices from your iPhone or iPad. This is the official companion app for devices running the free and open-source WLED firmware (such as ESP32 and ESP8266 controllers). The WLED app automatically finds your lights on your home Wi-Fi and brings them together in one simple, fast dashboard. Toggle power, adjust brightness, pick colors and effects, or keep your lights up to date in just a few taps. Key Features: • Automatic Wi-Fi Discovery: Finds your WLED lights on your local network automatically with no complicated setup required. • Live Status & Controls: See your lights' current colors, brightness, and online status update instantly right from the device list. • Home Screen Widgets: Turn lights on or off, see their current state at a glance, or jump straight to a device from your Home Screen. • Siri, Shortcuts & Action Button: Toggle your lights or set their brightness using Siri voice commands, the Shortcuts app, or your iPhone's Action button. • One-Tap Device Updates: Get notified when new WLED software is available and update your controllers directly from the app (supports official WLED, QuinLED, and MoonModules). • Made for iPhone & iPad: Adapts cleanly to any screen size with a split-screen layout on iPad, plus Light and Dark modes. • Easy Organization: Give your lights custom names and hide seasonal or offline controllers until you need them again. Completely free and open-source.

Screenshots

AsteraNext4 screens
WLED4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: WLED at 3.3 against AsteraNext's 2.3. AsteraNext's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (14.2 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

WLED holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 13 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 50% and 51% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AsteraNext ships an update every 3 weeks, WLED every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
AsteraNext versus WLED: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAsteraNextWLED
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (8 ratings)3.3 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews50.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings813 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.2 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size166 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAstera LED Technology GmbHChristophe Gagnier

Customer experience

AsteraNext

All ratings8 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

WLED

All ratings12 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive50.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative42.1%

Bugs and requests

AsteraNext

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

WLED

Reported bugs

42 issues
  • Unable to connect to LEDs
  • Lights randomly turn on
  • Connectivity issues, needs re-pairing
  • App doesn't work, glitchy
  • Brightness control issues
Show 37 more
  • Lights flicker after update
  • Cannot find discover lights option
  • Not connected to iPhone, setup issues
  • App won't load, vanishes
  • None of my devices show up
  • Shows up blank, manual add only
  • No longer finds WLED devices
  • App doesn't work, no devices showing
  • Confusing app, turns off
  • App is unusable after update, errors
  • App stopped picking up signal
  • Only connects when at home
  • Doesn't pick up esp8266
  • Sound react option missing
  • Time and macros section not working
  • Update won't update
  • Goes offline from time to time
  • Update breaks app, beta works
  • Drops connection, cannot adjust lights
  • Latest release freezes, unstable wifi
  • Loading WLED UI stuck
  • Inconsistent connection after new update
  • Lost all config after update
  • Lost all presets after update
  • Devices missing and disappearing
  • Update ruined everything, random disconnects
  • App constantly crashes, won't load
  • Stopped working after update
  • New upgrade feature killed device
  • Inconsistent, can't find boards
  • Cannot connect lights, IP address doesn't work
  • Missing schedule function
  • App doesn't work at all
  • Doesn't work properly with WLED 0.14
  • App won't allow changing anything, freezes
  • Hidden devices reappear
  • App goes offline and never connects again

Requested features

6 requests
  • User-friendly interface
  • Simple interface with advanced option
  • Widget features for Home Screen
  • Sound react option
  • Remote control when away from WiFi
Show 1 more
  • Timer or schedule function

In-app purchases

None

AsteraNext

No in-app purchases

None

WLED

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AsteraNext free?
AsteraNext 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, AsteraNext or WLED?
WLED is rated higher. AsteraNext averages 2.3 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while WLED averages 3.3 from 13 ratings.
Do AsteraNext or WLED have ads?
Neither AsteraNext nor WLED shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AsteraNext or WLED?
AsteraNext ships an update every 3 weeks, and WLED every 4 months. Most recently, AsteraNext was updated on November 12, 2026 and WLED on November 14, 2026.

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