WLED vs PulseMesh
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
WLED
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.
- Automatic device detection
- Centralized light list
- Software update assistant
- Customizable device names
- Hide or delete devices
- Light and dark mode
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With the WLED app, you can easily and efficiently manage and control all your WLED light devices from your iPhone or iPad. This is a companion app for the free and open source WLED software for ESP8266/32 microcontrollers. WLED automatically detects and updates the device list, and offers customizable names, a hide or delete feature, and a light and dark mode. It can also help you install new software updates to your devices. Plus, it supports both phones and tablets. Main Features: - Automatic device detection (mDNS) - All lights are accessible from one list - Software Update Assistant - Custom names - Hide or delete devices - Light and dark mode
PulseMesh
Experience synchronized light shows by streaming music directly to your phone. Perfect for holiday displays and neighborhood spectacles, it connects you to the audio for an immersive visual and auditory experience. Display owners can also manage and stream their synchronized shows to audiences.
- Stream synchronized show music
- Discover nearby light displays
- Seamless audio and light synchronization
- Manage and stream custom light shows
- Easy setup for audiences
- Real-time audio streaming for display owners
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Discover the magic of synchronized light shows with the PulseMesh app. Whether you're driving through a holiday light display or strolling through an enchanting neighborhood spectacle, PulseMesh lets you enjoy the full experience by streaming the music right to your phone. How It Works: Simply open the app, select the display from the nearby display list, and immerse yourself in synchronization of lights and music. No hassle, no complex setup—just the lights and sounds bringing the holiday spirit to life. For Display Owners: If you create light displays and want a seamless way to stream synchronized music to your audience, PulseMesh has you covered. Our platform makes it easy to manage your shows, set up real-time audio, and ensure that everyone in the audience gets a perfect experience, whether they’re viewing from their car or on foot.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: PulseMesh at 100% against WLED's 51%. PulseMesh also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
PulseMesh holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 14 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of WLED's written reviews are positive against 100% of PulseMesh's.
WLED ships an update every 2 months, PulseMesh every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 12, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | WLED | PulseMesh |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (10 ratings) | 5.0 (14 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 10 | 14 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 76 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Christophe Gagnier | PulseMesh LLC |
Customer experience
WLED
PulseMesh
Bugs and 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
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- 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 moreShow fewer
- Timer or schedule function
PulseMesh
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
WLED
No in-app purchases
PulseMesh
No in-app purchases
