Comparison

LIFX vs GWSCAN

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

Head to head
About

LIFX

Control your smart lights with this app. Easily adjust brightness, color, and temperature. Automate schedules, create custom scenes, and explore fun lighting effects. Integrates with voice assistants and HomeKit for seamless control.

Highlights
  • Basic light control (on/off, dim, color, temperature)
  • Group lights for easy management
  • Automated schedules and scenes
  • Special lighting effects (music visualizer, fire, etc.)
  • Live color painting on compatible lights
  • Custom color palettes
  • HomeKit integration
Features
Read full description

Like you, LIFX wants smarter light. This means we care about the way you control your smart lights, as much as we do about the lights themselves. We make it easy to get started with WiFi-enabled, bright, colorful smart lights that need no hub. Yep, you can start with just one device. LIFX App 4 can not only help give you the best start, but will turn your experience “up to 11”. Automate your wake up Schedule, or set up your movie-watching Scene (then set up voice control so you don’t even have to leave the sofa), or play with Effects next time you’re entertaining. Features. The LIFX app is packed full of features like: - The Basics: on/off, dim, change color, change white temperature. - Groups: control all lights in a group easily, including on/off and dimming with one touch from the Home Dashboard. - Group personalization: choose a LIFX illustration to suit or personalize Group cards with your own pictures. - Schedules: automate your lights to fade, change color, and turn on/off, all visible in an easy calendar-style view. - Effects: play with special effects like the music visualizer, fire, move, candle flicker, strobe, color cycle & more, all in one place. - Scenes: set your lighting just the way you like it and save it for later. - Themes: a library of one click color combinations for a Group, from ‘Proud’ to ‘Soothing’. - Paint: with your finger in the app, paint color live onto your LIFX Z, Beam, Tile and Candle. - Custom color palettes: add your favorite colors to a custom color palette. - Discover Tab: find How To guides, learn about integration partners, or shop for LIFX - and much more. Example uses from our customers: - Ambiance: schedule warmer light in the evening - to calm - and whiter light in the morning - to energize. - “Moccupancy”: set irregular schedules to make it seem like you’re home when you’re not. - Sleep: set your bedroom lights to deep red just before bed to produce more melatonin which helps you get better quality sleep. - Stay put: you’ve settled into the sofa for a streaming binge but left the lights on. No need to jump up to the switch, just ask your voice assistant. - Pet owners: if you're unexpectedly late home from work, turn the lights on for your dog from wherever you are. - Silent notifications: use partner apps to give you a light flash if… your car is arriving, or the forecast says it will rain, or you are mentioned on social media, and much more. HomeKit Best color-changing smart bulb for HomeKit cnet Pairing LIFX with Apple HomeKit is easy using the HomeKit onboarding QR code available in the product packaging. Stay in touch. Need a helping hand, or want to offer us some advice? We would love to hear from you about your LIFX experience. You can reach us at support@lifx.com. LIFX lights are available at lifx.com

About

GWSCAN

Unlock advanced vehicle diagnostics and maintenance insights. This tool helps you understand your car's systems, read and clear trouble codes, and monitor live engine data. Ideal for vehicle owners seeking professional-level insights without the dealership cost.

Highlights
  • OBDII Diagnostics
  • In-depth system scans
  • Live engine data monitoring
  • Maintenance light reset
  • Scan and clear DTCs
Features
Read full description

GWSCAN DIAGNOSTICS THAT BREAK ALL THE RULES! Unlock your inner mechanic with the tool that shows you what the pro knows. A must-have for every vehicle owner. The GWSCAN offers essential diagnostics with advanced features, covering 85+ manufacturers, a 2-year warranty, and free software updates—without breaking the bank. Diagnose and reset check engine lights from your driveway, saving time and money. Take control of your car care with confidence and convenience—choose GWSCAN. Detailed Features: 1) OBDII Diagnostics Offers standard OBDII diagnostics for engines, including scanning and clearing of Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs). 2)In-depth Check Performs comprehensive system scans on vehicles, including the chassis and body, to display manufacturer fault codes, provide definitions, and enable code clearing. 3)Live Data Displays live engine data during idle, operational, or full load conditions, including real-time information on RPM, battery voltage, air and fluid temperatures, and engine load. 4)Maintenance Light Reset Reset the maintenance counter and turn off the maintenance light after finishing maintenance.

Screenshots

LIFX4 screens
GWSCAN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: GWSCAN at 4.3 against LIFX's 3.7. GWSCAN also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 19%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). LIFX's advantage is ratings volume (7.1K vs 83) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

GWSCAN holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LIFX has 7.1K ratings behind it against 83, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of LIFX's written reviews are positive against 59% of GWSCAN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LIFX ships an update fortnightly, GWSCAN every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
LIFX versus GWSCAN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLIFXGWSCAN
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (7.1K ratings)4.3 (83 ratings) — better
Positive reviews18.5% of reviews58.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7.1K — better83
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size313 MB492 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperLIFXApex Tool Group

Customer experience

LIFX

All ratings7,088 ratings
Positive65.9%
Neutral4.8%
Negative29.4%
Written reviews708 reviews
Positive18.5%
Neutral10.7%
Negative70.8%

GWSCAN

All ratings83 ratings
Positive80.7%
Neutral3.6%
Negative15.7%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive58.6%
Neutral3.4%
Negative37.9%

Bugs and requests

LIFX

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Lights randomly disconnecting from app
  • Scenes and effects not working as expected
  • Scheduling issues and lights not responding to timers
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes

Requested features

5 requests
  • More granular control over individual lights
  • Improved scene and effect customization
  • Better scheduling and automation options
  • Seamless integration with smart home platforms
  • Simplified onboarding and setup process

GWSCAN

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

LIFX

No in-app purchases

None

GWSCAN

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LIFX free?
LIFX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GWSCAN free?
GWSCAN is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LIFX or GWSCAN?
GWSCAN is rated higher. LIFX averages 3.7 out of 5 from 7.1K ratings, while GWSCAN averages 4.3 from 83 ratings.
Do LIFX or GWSCAN have ads?
Neither LIFX nor GWSCAN shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LIFX or GWSCAN?
LIFX ships an update fortnightly, and GWSCAN every 2 months. Most recently, LIFX was updated on September 27, 2026 and GWSCAN on September 26, 2026.

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