# OnSwitch for Philips Hue vs Hue Essentials

The clearest difference is rating: OnSwitch for Philips Hue at 4.7 against Hue Essentials's 4.1. OnSwitch for Philips Hue also leads on ratings volume (9.6K vs 133) and review sentiment (57% vs 37%). Hue Essentials's advantage is device support (5 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. OnSwitch for Philips Hue sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month and Hue Essentials sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

OnSwitch for Philips Hue holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OnSwitch for Philips Hue has 9.6K ratings behind it against 133, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of OnSwitch for Philips Hue's written reviews are positive against 37% of Hue Essentials's.

OnSwitch for Philips Hue ships an update every 3 weeks, Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OnSwitch for Philips Hue | Hue Essentials |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (9.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onswitch-for-philips-hue/id853520339/reviews)** | [4.1 (133 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.6K** | 133 |
| Positive reviews | **57.3% of reviews** | 37.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 88 MB | 269 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buzzhaus, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1162934164) | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) |

## What reviewers say

### OnSwitch for Philips Hue

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onswitch-for-philips-hue/id853520339)

Enhance your smart lighting with dynamic scenes and effects. Create immersive experiences for holidays, parties, and relaxation with a user-friendly interface. Features include sunrise alarms, sunset timers, and creative color controls.

**Highlights:** Animated light scenes for holidays and parties, Live game-sync events for sports, Sunrise alarm and sunset sleep timer, Creative color control and discovery, Manage and control light groups, Hero lighting with cinematic flair

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| OnSwitch Premium | $12.99 | per month |
| OnSwitch Premium | $35.99 | per year |
| Embers | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fireplace | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lightning | $1.99 | one-time |
| Aurora | $1.99 | one-time |
| Nature Album | $4.99 | one-time |
| Science Fiction Album | $5.99 | one-time |
| Fireworks Album | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Simply the best
- 🚀 Fantastic app
- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Awesome app
- 👍 Excellent app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription to control my lights
- 🔒 No One-Time Purchase Option
- 🐛 Doesn't work with LifX
- 🐛 Disconnects from the hue bridge
- 🐛 Unable to open after recent update

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch after update
- Connectivity issues
- Lights not responding correctly
- Scenes not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add support for LIFX bulbs
- Allow customization of light groups
- Add background mode/automation
- Add Siri/HomeKit integration
- Improve interface and organization


### Hue Essentials

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921)

Unlock the full potential of your smart lighting system. Create custom scenes, dynamic effects, and automate your lights with schedules and triggers. Control multiple smart home bridges and devices seamlessly for a personalized ambiance.

**Highlights:** Custom scenes and effects, Music and entertainment sync, Sunrise/sunset automation, Multi-bridge control, Device discovery and setup, Button and sensor automation, Away from home control

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Effects: Christmas | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Universe | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Wonders of nature | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Romantic | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Floral fantasy | $0.99 | one-time |
| Effects: Spooky | $0.99 | one-time |
| Multiple bridges | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent Hue lighting control
- 👍 Works well with multiple bridges
- 💡 Customizable remote controls
- 🚀 Faster than official Hue app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔒 In-app purchases required for key features
- 👎 Poor execution and user experience
- 🔋 Widgets and Apple Watch app not working

**Reported bugs**

- Fade feature not working
- Saving automations not working
- Crashes when checking 'About' section
- Widgets and Apple Watch app issues

**Requested features**

- Repeat/loop function for automations
- Strobing/flashing effects
- Dark mode
- Alexa integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OnSwitch for Philips Hue free?

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

### Is Hue Essentials free?

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

### Which has better reviews, OnSwitch for Philips Hue or Hue Essentials?

OnSwitch for Philips Hue is rated higher. OnSwitch for Philips Hue averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.6K ratings, while Hue Essentials averages 4.1 from 133 ratings.

### Do OnSwitch for Philips Hue or Hue Essentials have ads?

Neither OnSwitch for Philips Hue nor Hue Essentials shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, OnSwitch for Philips Hue or Hue Essentials?

OnSwitch for Philips Hue ships an update every 3 weeks, and Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. Most recently, OnSwitch for Philips Hue was updated on October 1, 2026 and Hue Essentials on September 30, 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.*