# AppLights vs Onkyo Controller

The clearest difference is rating: AppLights at 4.0 against Onkyo Controller's 2.2. AppLights also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Onkyo Controller's advantage is ratings volume (620 vs 3). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Onkyo Controller has 620 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of AppLights's written reviews are positive against 26% of Onkyo Controller's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AppLights | Onkyo Controller |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/applights/id998737330/reviews)** | [2.2 (620 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onkyo-controller/id1110608712/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **620** |
| Positive reviews | **29.4% of reviews** | 25.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 15 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gemmy Industries Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/889851671) | [11 Trading Company LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1641485011) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Onkyo Controller

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onkyo-controller/id1110608712)

Control compatible Onkyo network products with this official remote app. Stream music from various sources, manage playback, and operate connected home theater devices. Features automatic sound field correction for compatible products.

**Highlights:** Music playback from streaming services, Control music library and NAS drives, Remote control functions (play, volume, input), Operate connected Blu-Ray players and TVs, Automatic sound field correction (Dirac Live), Check audio/video formats, Turn on compatible units remotely

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient remote control
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Supports Tidal and Spotify
- 🚀 Fast and responsive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connection issues
- 🐛 App crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Unreliable performance
- 🐛 Compatibility problems with older devices

**Reported bugs**

- App doesn't recognize receiver
- Fails to connect to Wi-Fi
- Loses connection during use
- Doesn't work with iOS 13 and newer
- Causes receiver to enter Direct mode unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Add support for Apple Music
- Improve Tidal and Deezer integration
- Allow customization of input names
- Add sleep timer and power off options
- Improve volume control and speaker balance adjustments


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AppLights free?

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

### Is Onkyo Controller free?

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

### Which has better reviews, AppLights or Onkyo Controller?

AppLights is rated higher. AppLights averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Onkyo Controller averages 2.2 from 620 ratings.

### Do AppLights or Onkyo Controller have ads?

Neither AppLights nor Onkyo Controller shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AppLights or Onkyo Controller?

AppLights ships an update every 2 months, and Onkyo Controller every 2 months. Most recently, AppLights was updated on June 10, 2026 and Onkyo Controller on September 28, 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.*