# Elgato Avea vs Hue Essentials

The clearest difference is rating: Hue Essentials at 4.2 against Elgato Avea's 2.7. Hue Essentials also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (138 vs 32). Elgato Avea's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hue Essentials sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Elgato Avea asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hue Essentials holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 32 and 138 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Elgato Avea's written reviews are positive against 38% of Hue Essentials's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Elgato Avea ships an update every 2 months, Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elgato Avea | Hue Essentials |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elgato-avea/id887809971/reviews) | **[4.2 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hue-essentials/id1462943921/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 32 | **138** |
| Positive reviews | **43.9% of reviews** | 37.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 100 MB | 271 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.3** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Eve Systems GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/329886714) | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) |

## What reviewers say

### Elgato Avea

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elgato-avea/id887809971)

Create dynamic light moods in your home with customizable settings. Control your ambiance from your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch and wake up gently with a built-in sunrise alarm. Requires compatible Elgato Avea hardware.

**Highlights:** Dynamic light moods, Customizable settings, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch control, Built-in wake-up light scene, Bluetooth Smart connectivity

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 Elgato Avea free?

Elgato Avea is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hue Essentials free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Elgato Avea or Hue Essentials?

Hue Essentials is rated higher. Elgato Avea averages 2.7 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while Hue Essentials averages 4.2 from 138 ratings.

### Do Elgato Avea or Hue Essentials have ads?

Neither Elgato Avea nor Hue Essentials shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Elgato Avea or Hue Essentials?

Elgato Avea ships an update every 2 months, and Hue Essentials every 2 weeks. Most recently, Elgato Avea was updated on October 16, 2026 and Hue Essentials on October 17, 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.*