# AppLights vs WLED

AppLights and WLED both sit at 4.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 51% of WLED's written reviews are positive against 29% of AppLights's. WLED also leads on ratings volume (10 vs 3). AppLights's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for AppLights against 4.0 for WLED. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 10 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of AppLights's written reviews are positive against 51% of WLED's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and August 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AppLights | WLED |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/applights/id998737330/reviews) | [4.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wled-official-app/id6446207239/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **10** |
| Positive reviews | 29.4% of reviews | **50.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 15 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gemmy Industries Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/889851671) | [Christophe Gagnier](https://appshunter.io/developer/1676668149) |

## 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


### WLED

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wled-official-app/id6446207239)

Control and manage all your WLED light devices from your iPhone or iPad. This companion app works with the open-source WLED software for microcontrollers, offering automatic device detection, customizable names, and software update assistance.

**Highlights:** Automatic device detection, Centralized light list, Software update assistant, Customizable device names, Hide or delete devices, Light and dark mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works flawlessly for some
- 👍 Free and does the job
- 👍 Great for managing multiple devices
- 👍 Responsive and stable (for some)
- 👍 Cleaner and modern UI

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 Randomly turns on/off
- 🐛 Not user friendly
- 🐛 Glitchy and poorly built
- 🐛 Flickering lights after update

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to connect to LEDs
- Lights randomly turn on
- Connectivity issues, needs re-pairing
- App doesn't work, glitchy
- Brightness control issues

**Requested features**

- User-friendly interface
- Simple interface with advanced option
- Widget features for Home Screen
- Sound react option
- Remote control when away from WiFi


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AppLights free?

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

### Is WLED free?

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

### Which has better reviews, AppLights or WLED?

AppLights and WLED are both rated 4.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 10 ratings respectively.

### Do AppLights or WLED have ads?

Neither AppLights nor WLED shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AppLights or WLED?

AppLights ships an update every 2 months, and WLED every 2 months. Most recently, AppLights was updated on June 10, 2026 and WLED on August 12, 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.*