Believe it or not, Philips Hue is far from the only smart bulb you can buy

Philips Hue smart lights are some of the coolest on the market, and they're definitely some of the most popular, but they can be quite expensive, especially once you get into colored bulbs. If you're looking for a less expensive alternative, or just something other than what's popular, then check out these other awesome options.

Best alternativeLIFX Day & Dusk Bulb

Staff pick

Kicking things off, we want to highlight the LIFX Day & Dusk bulb. Featuring a common A19 thread, this smart bulb can showcase thousands of shades of white to make sure your room looks exactly the way you want it. It also features day/dusk automation settings and works without any hub required.

$25 at Amazon$25 at Best Buy

Insanely cheapCree Connected Dimmable LED Bulb

The price of this bulb from Cree might seem too good to be true, but it's not. You won't find any options for multiple colors, but what Cree offers is an extremely affordable bulb that's dimmable and can be controlled from your phone or via Alexa.

$12 at Amazon$19 at Walmart

Millions of optionsSylvania Smart+ Color Changing LED Bulb

If you'd rather have a multicolored bulb but can't stomach LIFX's prices, the Sylvania Smart+ is a fantastic choice. We love that you can choose from millions of colors, along with being able to control the bulbs remotely. Just make sure you connect them to a Zigbee smart hub.

$31 at Walmart$39 at Newegg

No hub requiredEufy Lumos Smart Bulb 2.0

For hub-less Wi-Fi control of your smart lights, Eufy's Lumos bulbs are excellent. You can change the temperature of the light from cool to warm, or somewhere in between. Eufy also supports automated schedules and remote control - all with an 18-month warranty.

$16 at Walmart$16 at Newegg

Works with everythingYeelight Dimmable Light Bulb

Yeelight's bulbs work with Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, and Apple Homekit. No matter which smart service you rely on, chances are Yeelight supports it. This particular bulb has a dimmable white light, can be controlled remotely, and doesn't need a hub.

$20 at Amazon$24 at Walmart$30 at Newegg

Affordable colorTECKIN Multicolor LED Bulb

Multicolor light bulbs tend to be expensive, but they don't have to be, thanks to TECKIN. Available as a single bulb or in a two-pack or four-pack, you can choose from over 16 million colors, pre-made scenes, and more - all without needing to bother with a dedicated hub.

From $14 at Amazon

Twice the colorLUMIMAN RGB Bulbs

For fabulous multicolored bulbs at a great price, this two-pack from LUMIMAN is impossible to ignore. For the price of a single bulb from some other companies, you get two at an incredible price. Each bulb features millions of color options, automation schedules, and don't require a hub to work.

$20 at Amazon

A bulb for every roomWyze Smart Home Light Bulbs

Chances are you want more than one smart bulb. You probably want to place one (or two) in every room. This bundle from Wyze is a great way to do just that, giving you four bulbs at an unbeatable price. You get dimmable white lighting and don't have to worry about a hub.

$52 at Amazon

Light-up wall artNanoleaf Rhythm Edition

If you want your smart lights to make more of a statement than a simple bulb does, check out the Rhythm from Nanoleaf. This gives you a pack of nine panels, each featuring millions of color options. There are also audio sensors, which change the lighting in time with your tunes.

$180 at Best Buy$180 at Newegg

So many bulbs, such little time

Philips Hue bulbs might be among the most recognizable in the smart lighting space, but as you can see, they're far from your only option. Overall, we think the best alternative out there is the LIFX Day & Dusk Bulb. If you don't care about having tons of colors, this is a phenomenal pick. You can adjust the white hue to seemingly endless degrees, no hub is required, and it works with all major digital assistants (Google Assistant, Alexa, HomeKit/Siri, and Cortana).

If you are searching for multicolored bulbs, another great pick is the LUMIMAN RGB Bulbs. No hub is required, you get two bulbs for one low price, and you have 16 million colors to play with. As far as good values go, this one is among the best.

Finally, if you aren't concerned about fancy colors and just want an inexpensive way to get a bunch of bulbs in your home, the Wyze Smart Home Light Bulbs and this four-pack give you tons of bulbs in one easy package.

No matter which smart bulbs you end up getting, you have a lot of great options to choose from for kicking off (or expanding) your smart home!