# Spa Control vs Sunlighten

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sunlighten at none against Spa Control's 10. Sunlighten also leads on review sentiment (20% vs 11%). Spa Control's advantage is ratings volume (626 vs 88) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spa Control sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Sunlighten asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 2.7 for Spa Control against 2.7 for Sunlighten. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spa Control has 626 ratings behind it against 88, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 11% of Spa Control's written reviews are positive against 20% of Sunlighten's.

Spa Control ships an update every 2 months, Sunlighten every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spa Control | Sunlighten |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (626 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spa-control-bwa/id469882268/reviews) | **[2.7 (88 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunlighten/id1634410434/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **626** | 88 |
| Positive reviews | 10.8% of reviews | **19.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 44 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Balboa Water Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/469886191) | [Sunlighten Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634410436) |

## What reviewers say

### Spa Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spa-control-bwa/id469882268)

Control your portable hot tub's lighting, water temperature, and massage pumps remotely via WiFi. Adjust your spa settings from your iPhone or iPad before you even get in.

**Highlights:** Remote spa control, Adjust lighting, Control water temperature, Manage massage pumps, WiFi connectivity, iPhone/iPad compatible

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cloud Mode – Monthly | $2.49 | per month |
| Cloud Mode – Monthly | $2.49 | per month |
| Cloud Mode – Monthly | $2.49 | per month |
| Cloud Mode – Monthly | $2.49 | per month |
| Cloud Mode – Monthly | $2.49 | per month |
| Cloud Mode – Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Cloud Mode – Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Cloud Mode – Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Cloud Mode – Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Cloud Mode – Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


### Sunlighten

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sunlighten/id1634410434)

Optimize your well-being with this app, designed to enhance your light therapy and sauna experiences. Create personalized wellness programs, track sessions in real-time, and control your devices remotely for a seamless health journey.

**Highlights:** Science-based wellness programs, Personalized program creation, Real-time session tracking, Remote sauna control (Wi-Fi), Audio and lighting management, Red light therapy panel programs

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient remote control
- 👍 Customizable programs
- 🚀 Easy to use app
- 👍 Enhances sauna experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable app connectivity
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection
- 🐛 Inconsistent scheduling and remote start
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy app
- 👎 Limited remote functionality

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to connect to sauna
- Scheduled programs not running as expected
- Inconsistent lighting controls
- Tablet frequently restarts or loses connection

**Requested features**

- Remote start and preheat capability
- Improved app stability and reliability
- Better integration between app and sauna
- More customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spa Control free?

Spa Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Sunlighten free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Spa Control or Sunlighten?

Sunlighten is rated higher. Spa Control averages 2.7 out of 5 from 626 ratings, while Sunlighten averages 2.7 from 88 ratings.

### Do Spa Control or Sunlighten have ads?

Neither Spa Control nor Sunlighten shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spa Control or Sunlighten?

Spa Control ships an update every 2 months, and Sunlighten every 4 months. Most recently, Spa Control was updated on November 1, 2026 and Sunlighten on November 3, 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.*