# Hochzeit vs Hue Essentials

The clearest difference is price: Hue Essentials at Free against Hochzeit's $0.99. Hue Essentials also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 25 months) and device support (5 vs 2). Hochzeit's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8). On ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Hue Essentials is free to download; Hochzeit costs $0.99 up front. Hue Essentials sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Hochzeit asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hochzeit ships an update every 25 months, Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hochzeit | Hue Essentials |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | — | **[4.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **138** |
| Positive reviews | — | 37.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 25 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 1 MB | 271 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dirk Einecke](https://appshunter.io/developer/422110014) | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) |

## What reviewers say

### Hochzeit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hochzeit/id451102943)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Hue Essentials

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921)

Unlock the full potential of your smart lighting system. Create custom scenes, dynamic effects, and automate your lights with schedules and triggers. Control multiple smart home bridges and devices seamlessly for a personalized ambiance.

**Highlights:** Custom scenes and effects, Music and entertainment sync, Sunrise/sunset automation, Multi-bridge control, Device discovery and setup, Button and sensor automation, Away from home control

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Effects: Christmas | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Universe | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Wonders of nature | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Romantic | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Floral fantasy | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Spooky | $0.99 | one-time |
| Multiple bridges | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent Hue lighting control
- 👍 Works well with multiple bridges
- 💡 Customizable remote controls
- 🚀 Faster than official Hue app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔒 In-app purchases required for key features
- 👎 Poor execution and user experience
- 🔋 Widgets and Apple Watch app not working

**Reported bugs**

- Fade feature not working
- Saving automations not working
- Crashes when checking 'About' section
- Widgets and Apple Watch app issues

**Requested features**

- Repeat/loop function for automations
- Strobing/flashing effects
- Dark mode
- Alexa integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hochzeit free?

Hochzeit costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hue Essentials free?

Hue Essentials is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Hochzeit or Hue Essentials have ads?

Neither Hochzeit nor Hue Essentials shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hochzeit or Hue Essentials?

Hochzeit ships an update every 25 months, and Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. Most recently, Hochzeit was updated on October 8, 2026 and Hue Essentials on October 11, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*