# Philips Illuminate vs AppLights

The clearest difference is rating: AppLights at 4.0 against Philips Illuminate's 1.9. AppLights also leads on review sentiment (29% vs 9%). Philips Illuminate's advantage is ratings volume (138 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

AppLights holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Philips Illuminate has 138 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 9% of Philips Illuminate's written reviews are positive against 29% of AppLights's.

Philips Illuminate ships an update every 3 months, AppLights every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Philips Illuminate | AppLights |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.9 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philips-illuminate/id892864130/reviews) | **[4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/applights/id998737330/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **138** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 9.4% of reviews | **29.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 20 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 9.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Seasonal Specialties LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/892864133) | [Gemmy Industries Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/889851671) |

## What reviewers say

### Philips Illuminate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philips-illuminate/id892864130)

Control and customize your smart lighting system from your phone or tablet. Adjust colors, brightness, and functions, or synchronize lights to music. Network multiple kits for a larger, coordinated light display.

**Highlights:** Customizable lighting control, Color and brightness adjustment, Music synchronization, Create custom light functions, Network multiple light kits, Continuous Motion technology

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### AppLights

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/applights/id998737330)

Create and control stunning holiday light displays directly from your smartphone. This app offers a wide range of effects, colors, and themes for both indoor and outdoor decorating, making custom holiday lighting easy to manage.

**Highlights:** Smartphone control, Dozens of effects and colors, Multiple holiday themes, Customizable color options, Easy setup and management, Indoor and outdoor use

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works great
- 🎨 Variety of lighting effects
- ⏱️ Lights last for years
- 👍 Easy to use app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🔧 Unreliable/unstable
- 💡 Limited customization
- 🕰️ No timer feature
- 🔍 App not updated/supported

**Reported bugs**

- Lights not responding to app commands
- Lights stuck in demo/default mode
- Bluetooth connectivity problems
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Custom color/pattern creation
- Ability to sync multiple strings
- Timer/scheduling functionality
- More lighting effects/modes
- Improved app UI/UX


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Philips Illuminate free?

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

### Is AppLights free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Philips Illuminate or AppLights?

AppLights is rated higher. Philips Illuminate averages 1.9 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while AppLights averages 4.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Philips Illuminate or AppLights have ads?

Neither Philips Illuminate nor AppLights shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Philips Illuminate or AppLights?

Philips Illuminate ships an update every 3 months, and AppLights every 2 months. Most recently, Philips Illuminate was updated on October 12, 2026 and AppLights on October 13, 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.*