Comparison

ESPHome vs Flash Studio

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

Head to head
About

ESPHome

Features
Read full description

ESPHome-WLED Device Manager is a powerful native iOS, iPad, and Apple Watch app for discovering and controlling your smart home devices on your local network. Recommended ESPHome Component For the best experience, add the webserver_listcomponents (https://github.com/domgrimm/esphome-webserver-listcomponents) external component to your ESPHome config. It enables fast, reliable entity discovery with full metadata support. ESPHome Device Control • Automatic network discovery via Bonjour/mDNS • Full component support: switches, lights, fans, covers, sensors, climate, numbers, selects, buttons, text, time, and alarm control panels • Native API with Noise encryption for secure, real-time communication • Live log streaming and Server-Sent Events for instant state updates • HTTP Basic authentication support • Manual device addition for devices outside your local network WLED Advanced Control • Power, brightness, and full effect/palette management • Segment management with blend modes and transition styles • Live LED preview via WebSocket for 1D strips and 2D matrices • Native gradient palette editor with WLED JSON codec • PixelForge tools for WLED 0.16+: Pixel Paint, Image Tool, and Scrolling Text • LittleFS file browser and custom palette management Widgets • Device Hub widget shows multiple ESPHome and WLED devices in an Apple Home-style layout • Device Control widget displays individual components or WLED segments with interactive toggle • Both widgets support small and medium sizes with AppIntent-driven configuration iPad Optimized • Two-column NavigationSplitView with sidebar device list • Balanced split-view layout for efficient device browsing and control • Adaptive interface that responds to size class changes Apple Watch • Full watchOS companion app with device discovery and control • Digital Crown brightness control with haptic feedback for WLED • Effect and palette wheel pickers with live color preview • Manual device sync from your iPhone via App Groups ESPHome-WLED Device Manager runs entirely on your local network — no cloud services, no accounts, and no tracking. Your devices stay under your control. Requires ESPHome or WLED devices on your local network. Supports current ESPHome firmware with entity-name-based URL paths and API 1.14+ native handshake.

About

Flash Studio

Manage your 3D printers remotely from your smartphone. Monitor print status, view live video feeds of your printer's operations, and control multiple printers simultaneously.

Highlights
  • Remote printer monitoring
  • Real-time video feed
  • Manage grouped printers
  • On-the-go management
  • Smartphone integration
Features
Read full description

Flash Studio is an integrated mobile app developed by FLASHFORGE for on-the-go management of 3D printers. Users can monitor print status via smartphones, view real-time video of printer operations remotely, and efficiently manage grouped 3D printers.

Screenshots

ESPHome4 screens
Flash Studio3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Flash Studio at none against ESPHome's 5. Flash Studio also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17). ESPHome's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence 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. ESPHome sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Flash Studio asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ESPHome versus Flash Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterESPHomeFlash Studio
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.8 (4.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews—56.4% of reviews
Number of ratings—4.2K — better
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Ad-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS1715.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB99 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDominic Grimm浙江闪铸三维科技有限公司

In-app purchases

5 purchases

ESPHome

One-time5
  • Small Tip$0.49
  • Medium Tip$1.99
  • Large Tip$2.99
Show 2 more
  • Extra Large Tip$5.99
  • Massive Tip$12.99
None

Flash Studio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ESPHome free?
ESPHome is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Flash Studio free?
Flash Studio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ESPHome or Flash Studio have ads?
Flash Studio shows ads; ESPHome does not.
Which is updated more often, ESPHome or Flash Studio?
ESPHome ships an update weekly, and Flash Studio weekly. Most recently, ESPHome was updated on October 1, 2026 and Flash Studio on October 15, 2026.

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