# Gemstone Lights vs Canstar Lights

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Gemstone Lights at 4.6K against Canstar Lights's 3. Canstar Lights's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 88%). On price, rating, 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Gemstone Lights against 5.0 for Canstar Lights. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gemstone Lights has 4.6K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Gemstone Lights's written reviews are positive against 100% of Canstar Lights's.

Gemstone Lights ships an update fortnightly, Canstar Lights every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gemstone Lights | Canstar Lights |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (4.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gemstone-lights/id1645610976/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canstar-lights/id6446613829/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.6K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 88.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 107 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [1995282 Alberta Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1253335696) | [Canstar Light Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1678456175) |

## What reviewers say

### Gemstone Lights

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gemstone-lights/id1645610976)

Control your smart lights with an intuitive interface. Create custom patterns, set sunrise/sunset timers, and sync your settings to the cloud. Transform your home's ambiance effortlessly.

**Highlights:** Real-time pattern status, Sunrise/sunset timers, Offline timer support, Cloud syncing for folders and patterns, Intuitive interface, Customizable lighting patterns

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app, even better than the first!
- 👍 Easier to use and more robust performance
- 👍 Extremely happy with my lights and the new features
- 👍 Fantastic!! Envy of the subdivision
- 👍 Absolutely best investment ever!

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 The app is really hard to use if you want to zone, support is terrible
- 🐛 This app is more awkward than the original and is missing key features, like dark mode
- 🐛 The sway pattern is not working the same way as it was with the original hub
- 🐛 Still missing folders and patterns, been out for a while and they still haven't been fixed

**Reported bugs**

- Missing folders and patterns
- Sway pattern not working the same as original hub

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Fireworks folder and ISO folder to be complete
- Adjusting speed should not start over, and most flow settings should have no pause


### Canstar Lights

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canstar-lights/id6446613829)

Control smart indoor and outdoor LED lights with a mobile app. Customize lighting for various purposes, including architectural, festive, and security needs, with millions of color options and preprogrammed effects.

**Highlights:** Indoor/outdoor smart light control, Millions of color options, 90+ lighting effects, Preprogrammed festive lighting, Architectural and security lighting modes, Full house sync technology

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gemstone Lights free?

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

### Is Canstar Lights free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Gemstone Lights or Canstar Lights?

Canstar Lights is rated higher. Gemstone Lights averages 4.9 out of 5 from 4.6K ratings, while Canstar Lights averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Gemstone Lights or Canstar Lights have ads?

Neither Gemstone Lights nor Canstar Lights shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gemstone Lights or Canstar Lights?

Gemstone Lights ships an update fortnightly, and Canstar Lights every 2 weeks. Most recently, Gemstone Lights was updated on October 25, 2026 and Canstar Lights on October 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.*