AppLights vs Pocket Cowbell
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AppLights
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.
- Smartphone control
- Dozens of effects and colors
- Multiple holiday themes
- Customizable color options
- Easy setup and management
- Indoor and outdoor use
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Put on a dazzling holiday light display–and control it all from your smartphone. The AppLights® app works exclusively with AppLights® holiday lighting products to control dozens of effects and colors directly from your smartphone. It’s super easy to set up and manage. Choose from multiple holiday themes, lighting technologies and color options for each lighting product. Perfect for outdoor or indoor holiday decorating, AppLights® delivers the latest in holiday decorating technology for a custom look that’s a breeze to manage.
Pocket Cowbell
This digital noisemaker lets you shake your device to create a cowbell sound. Compete globally on leaderboards, customize your cowbell's look and sound, and track your ringing stats. An optional PRO upgrade offers an ad-free experience and exclusive content.
- Shake to ring cowbell sound
- Global leaderboards for competition
- Variety of unique cowbell designs
- Custom cowbell creation tools
- Multiple ringing sound options
- Detailed ringing statistics tracking
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Ring, Compete, and Customize with Pocket Cowbell - Your Ultimate Digital Noisemaker! Shake your device to ring the bell, cheer on your favorite teams, and dive into a world of fun with Pocket Cowbell! This isn't just any noise app - it's a fully customizable, interactive experience that brings the classic cowbell into the digital age, ready for any event where you need to make some noise. Key Features: • Shake to Ring: Use your device's motion to create that iconic cowbell sound • Global Leaderboards: Compete worldwide and ring your way to the top! • Unique Cowbells: Choose from a variety of cowbell designs, each with its own look and sound • Custom Creation: Design your own cowbell with different shapes, colors, and tones • Sound Variety: Select from multiple ringing sounds or record your own for a truly personal touch • Detailed Stats: Track your ringing prowess with session, daily, and lifetime ring counts Upgrade to PRO for an enhanced experience: • Ad-Free Ringing: Enjoy uninterrupted cowbell action • Exclusive Cowbells and Sounds: Access a wider range of customization options • Auto-Ring Feature: Let your device do the ringing for you Whether you're a sports fan, attending a concert, or just looking for a fun way to make some noise, Pocket Cowbell is the perfect app for all occasions. Download now and start ringing your way to the top of the leaderboards!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Pocket Cowbell at 4.4 against AppLights's 3.7. Pocket Cowbell also leads on review sentiment (64% vs 29%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). AppLights's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Pocket Cowbell sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. AppLights asks for nothing beyond the download.
Pocket Cowbell holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 31 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of AppLights's written reviews are positive against 64% of Pocket Cowbell's.
AppLights ships an update every 2 months, Pocket Cowbell every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AppLights | Pocket Cowbell |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (9 ratings) | 4.4 (31 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 29.4% of reviews | 63.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9 | 31 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 98 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gemmy Industries Corporation | Jesse Hollingsworth |
Customer experience
AppLights
Pocket Cowbell
Bugs and requests
AppLights
Reported bugs
4 issues- Lights not responding to app commands
- Lights stuck in demo/default mode
- Bluetooth connectivity problems
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
Requested features
5 requests- Custom color/pattern creation
- Ability to sync multiple strings
- Timer/scheduling functionality
- More lighting effects/modes
- Improved app UI/UX
Pocket Cowbell
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
AppLights
No in-app purchases
Pocket Cowbell
- Pocket Cowbell PRO$1.99
Questions
Is AppLights free?
Is Pocket Cowbell free?
Which has better reviews, AppLights or Pocket Cowbell?
Do AppLights or Pocket Cowbell have ads?
Which is updated more often, AppLights or Pocket Cowbell?
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