IoT & Smart Home · head to head
LIFX vs Node-RED
LIFX
IoT & Smart Home
WiFi-enabled smart lights with no hub required
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Node-RED
IoT & Smart Home
Flow-based programming tool for IoT and home automation
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Node-RED has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: LIFX the Internet Archive's capture of LIFX's products page on 19 July 2016 priced the White 800 bulb at $39.99 USD (890 lumens) and the Color 1000 bulb at $59.99 USD (1,055 lumens); this is a 2016 capture and current prices likely differ.; Node-RED the Node-RED editor ships unsecured: anyone who can reach its IP address can open the editor and deploy changes until adminAuth is configured
- They diverge on capability: LIFX covers No Hub Required, Node-RED covers Visual Editor.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which LIFX and Node-RED actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (IoT & Smart Home).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in LIFX
- No Hub Required
- 16 Million Colors
- WiFi Direct
- High Brightness
- HomeKit
- Alexa
- Google Home
- SmartThings
Only in Node-RED
- Visual Editor
- Flow-Based Programming
- Extensible
- HTTP Integration
- MQTT
- REST API
- WebSocket
- Database
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
LIFX
- Ambient lightingnot Node-RED
- Gaming setupnot Node-RED
- Photography lightingnot Node-RED
- Smart homenot Node-RED
Node-RED
- Wiring together devices, APIs and online services with a visual flow editornot LIFX
- Building home and industrial automation logic on a local servernot LIFX
- Prototyping MQTT and HTTP integrations without writing full applicationsnot LIFX
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
LIFX
- The Internet Archive's capture of LIFX's products page on 19 July 2016 priced the White 800 bulb at $39.99 USD (890 lumens) and the Color 1000 bulb at $59.99 USD (1,055 lumens); this is a 2016 capture and current prices likely differ.
Node-RED
- The Node-RED editor ships unsecured: anyone who can reach its IP address can open the editor and deploy changes until adminAuth is configured
- HTTPS is off by default and must be enabled through the https setting
- HTTP endpoints and dashboards exposed by flows are unauthenticated unless httpNodeAuth is configured separately
- All three security layers are optional additions the administrator must implement by editing the settings file
Pricing, plan by plan
LIFX
On request- LIFX Bulb$40/month
- 16M colors
- WiFi direct
- No hub required
Node-RED
Free- Community EditionFree
- Visual editor
- Extensible
- REST API
Which should you pick?
Choose LIFX if
- You need no hub required.
- You work on IOS, Android, Windows, MacOS.
- You also want 16 million colors.
Choose Node-RED if
- You need visual editor.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Node.js, Docker, Cloud, Edge devices.
- You also want flow-based programming.
Questions people ask
- Is LIFX or Node-RED better?
- Neither clearly leads. LIFX starts at On request and Node-RED at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, LIFX or Node-RED?
- Node-RED has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for LIFX and Free for Node-RED.
- Does LIFX or Node-RED run on more platforms?
- LIFX runs on IOS, Android, Windows, MacOS. Node-RED runs on Node.js, Docker, Cloud, Edge devices.
- Can I use Node-RED for free?
- Yes. Node-RED has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LIFX starts at On request.
- What is LIFX best used for?
- LIFX is most often used for ambient lighting, gaming setup, photography lighting, smart home. Of those, ambient lighting and gaming setup are not what Node-RED is typically brought in for.
- What can LIFX do that Node-RED cannot?
- LIFX covers No Hub Required, 16 Million Colors, WiFi Direct, High Brightness. Node-RED covers Visual Editor, Flow-Based Programming, Extensible, HTTP Integration.