# Hue Lights vs Lamptier for Philips Hue

The clearest difference is monetization model: Hue Lights at free with in-app purchases against Lamptier for Philips Hue's subscription. Hue Lights also leads on ads (none vs shown). Lamptier for Philips Hue's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hue Lights sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and Lamptier for Philips Hue sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Lamptier for Philips Hue holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 472 and 397 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 45% and 45% positive.

Hue Lights ships an update every 5 months, Lamptier for Philips Hue every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hue Lights | Lamptier for Philips Hue |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (472 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-lights/id762009425/reviews) | **[4.5 (397 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lamptier-for-philips-hue/id1312926257/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **472** | 397 |
| Positive reviews | 45.0% of reviews | **45.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 53 MB | 134 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [LapApps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/762009431) | [Infoality Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1226687359) |

## What reviewers say

### Hue Lights

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-lights/id762009425)

Unlock advanced control for your smart lights. Create custom scenes, schedules, and dynamic lighting effects. Enhance your home ambiance with unique features like simulated weather and fire.

**Highlights:** Precise lighting control, Multi-room scenes, Customizable schedules, Dynamic lighting effects, Hue sensor and switch configuration, Apple Watch integration, In-app purchase for special effects

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock 100 Scenes | Free | one-time |
| Thunderstorm | $1.99 | one-time |
| Fire | $1.99 | one-time |
| Water | $1.99 | one-time |
| Perfect Sunrise | $1.99 | one-time |
| Richer Colors and Scenes | $1.99 | one-time |
| Premium Actions | $1.99 | one-time |
| Premium Sequences | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock 48 Lights | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for controlling Hue lights
- 👍 Excellent functionality and customization
- 💡 Helpful for connecting older Hue bulbs
- 🚀 Touchlink feature works well
- 👍 Responsive and helpful developer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable after updates
- 👎 Complicated and unintuitive user interface
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases required
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer Hue bridges
- 👎 Scenes and schedules not working as expected

**Reported bugs**

- Lights not responding to commands
- Scenes not loading or activating properly
- Frequent crashes and connection issues
- Unexpected changes to light groups and settings

**Requested features**

- Alexa/Siri integration and voice control
- Ability to run effects/animations in the background
- More customization options for sunrise/sunset scenes
- Better widget and Apple Watch support


### Lamptier for Philips Hue

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lamptier-for-philips-hue/id1312926257)

Create immersive lighting experiences and beautiful designs for your smart home. This app analyzes your room layout to generate personalized scenes, syncs with music, and offers convenient control over your Philips Hue lights.

**Highlights:** Dynamic lighting scenes, Background sound integration, Smart group control, Space Planner for room analysis, Lights Off functionality with timers, Custom scene creation

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter Plan, up to 15 lamps | $2.99 | per month |
| Starter Plan, up to 15 lamps | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan, up to 50 lamps | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan, up to 50 lamps | $4.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Plan, up to 50 lamps | $14.99 | per 3 months |
| Quarterly Plan, up to 50 lamps | $14.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly Plan, up to 50 lamps | $29.99 | per year |
| Starter Plan, up to 15 lamps | $29.99 | per year |
| Starter Plan, up to 15 lamps | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan, up to 50 lamps | $34.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Beautiful and impressive lighting scenes
- 🎨 Unique 3D spatial positioning of lights
- 🎵 Integration with Spotify and Apple Music
- 💡 Innovative mood and ambiance creation
- 🎭 Wide variety of themed scenes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and connection failures
- ⏱️ Slow and unresponsive performance
- 🔋 Excessive battery drain in background
- 🎵 Random/inconsistent Spotify track selection

**Reported bugs**

- Effects fail to download
- Cannot find lights or bridge
- App crashes during bridge setup
- Long startup times and unresponsiveness
- Scenes take several minutes to load

**Requested features**

- Siri Shortcuts integration
- Alexa and Google Home compatibility
- Apple Watch app
- IFTTT support
- Multiple bridge support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hue Lights free?

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

### Is Lamptier for Philips Hue free?

Lamptier for Philips Hue is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Hue Lights or Lamptier for Philips Hue?

Lamptier for Philips Hue is rated higher. Hue Lights averages 4.1 out of 5 from 472 ratings, while Lamptier for Philips Hue averages 4.5 from 397 ratings.

### Do Hue Lights or Lamptier for Philips Hue have ads?

Lamptier for Philips Hue shows ads; Hue Lights does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hue Lights or Lamptier for Philips Hue?

Hue Lights ships an update every 5 months, and Lamptier for Philips Hue every 5 weeks. Most recently, Hue Lights was updated on November 11, 2026 and Lamptier for Philips Hue on November 4, 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.*