# AppLights vs ION Sound Control™

The clearest difference is rating: AppLights at 4.0 against ION Sound Control™'s 2.5. AppLights also leads on review sentiment (29% vs 20%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.1). ION Sound Control™'s advantage is ratings volume (94 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 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ION Sound Control™ has 94 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 20% of ION Sound Control™'s.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AppLights | ION Sound Control™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/applights/id998737330/reviews)** | [2.5 (94 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ion-sound-control/id6443914976/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **94** |
| Positive reviews | **29.4% of reviews** | 20.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 15 MB | 79 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gemmy Industries Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/889851671) | [ION Audio](https://appshunter.io/developer/456471027) |

## 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


### ION Sound Control™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ion-sound-control/id6443914976)

Control compatible ION speakers remotely to adjust volume, lighting, and equalizer settings. Stream music from other apps, manage radio stations, and check battery status from up to 100 feet away. Requires Bluetooth connection.

**Highlights:** Remote volume control, Adjust lighting effects, Customize equalizer settings, Change input sources, Check battery status, Manage radio stations and presets

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works with Bluetooth
- 👍 Good speaker quality
- 👍 Can control volume
- 👍 App works as expected for some users
- 👍 Reliable connection for some

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 FM input bugs
- 🐛 App features not working
- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 LED control locked
- 🐛 Pairing issues

**Reported bugs**

- App hops back and forth in FM frequency
- App loses mind in FM input
- App loses functionality after update
- Cannot change LED color/pattern
- App doesn't work with specific speakers

**Requested features**

- Improve EQ with more bands
- Allow editing device names
- Make lights react to music
- Show volume number
- Turn speaker on from app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AppLights free?

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

### Is ION Sound Control™ free?

ION Sound Control™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AppLights or ION Sound Control™?

AppLights is rated higher. AppLights averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while ION Sound Control™ averages 2.5 from 94 ratings.

### Do AppLights or ION Sound Control™ have ads?

Neither AppLights nor ION Sound Control™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AppLights or ION Sound Control™?

AppLights ships an update every 2 months, and ION Sound Control™ every 2 months. Most recently, AppLights was updated on June 10, 2026 and ION Sound Control™ on September 22, 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.*