# Hue Lights vs Philips PCA

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Philips PCA at 100% against Hue Lights's 46%. Philips PCA also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 9). Hue Lights's advantage is ratings volume (393 vs 1) and device support (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hue Lights sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Philips PCA asks for nothing beyond the download.

Philips PCA holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hue Lights has 393 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Hue Lights's written reviews are positive against 100% of Philips PCA's.

Hue Lights ships an update every 5 months, Philips PCA every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hue Lights | Philips PCA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (393 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-lights/id762009425/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philips-pca/id924456349/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **393** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 45.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 53 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LapApps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/762009431) | [Signify Netherlands B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/979064009) |

## 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


### Philips PCA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philips-pca/id924456349)

This application allows for the control of lighting and HVAC systems from a single point. It utilizes visible light communication or QR code input to manage pre-commissioned connected lighting systems. A professionally installed Philips Connected Lighting system is required for operation.

**Highlights:** Lighting control, HVAC control, Visible light communication, QR code input, Self-configuring, Location-based control

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hue Lights free?

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

### Is Philips PCA free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hue Lights or Philips PCA?

Philips PCA is rated higher. Hue Lights averages 4.1 out of 5 from 393 ratings, while Philips PCA averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Hue Lights or Philips PCA have ads?

Neither Hue Lights nor Philips PCA shows ads.

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

Hue Lights ships an update every 5 months, and Philips PCA every 3 months. Most recently, Hue Lights was updated on September 24, 2026 and Philips PCA on September 10, 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.*