Comparing permanent lighting systems
JellyFish Lighting Alternative in Tampa Bay
JellyFish builds a strong system and beats us outright on one thing. Here is the honest comparison, sourced to their own published pages, including the line where they win.
Start with the part where they win
On the hardware these systems are close. On smart home control they are ahead of us, and we would rather tell you that than have you discover it in their showroom.
Both systems fit a color-matched track into the roofline that is meant to disappear in daylight. Both offer warm white for everyday use and full color for the holidays. Neither publishes a flat price, because every roofline is different.
Where they genuinely lead is integration. Their app works with Alexa, Google Home, Control4 and Nice-Elan. The system we install runs from its own app and does not do voice control. If that is a dealbreaker for you, it is a good reason to call them, and we will not talk you out of it.
Where we compete is structural, and it is covered below. Everything here is sourced to jellyfishlighting.com and their own comparison page, checked August 7, 2026. Terms change, so verify before you decide.
Side by side
| What you are comparing | JellyFish, per their own pages | Architectural Ambiance |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime appearance | Their site says "Discreet from the street. Installed under eaves and behind trim, JellyFish Lighting blends with a matching track color." | A slim track finished to match your soffit or fascia, mounted under the eave. |
| How the system makes white | States 16 million colors "including warm white", with warm white presets listed at 2700K, 3000K, 3500K, 4000K and 5000K. We found no statement of the diode architecture either way. | RGBW, with a fourth diode dedicated to warm white. |
| Smart home and voice | Their app integrates with Alexa, Google Home, Control4 and Nice-Elan. | A proprietary app. No voice assistant integration today. |
| Published warranty | A "5 year parts warranty with a 1 year labor warranty". Their page states "We provide our customers with a one-year warranty that covers labor". | Manufacturer warranty on parts, plus our workmanship guarantee if something we installed fails. |
| Who you are actually hiring | A dealer or partner in your territory. Their site advertises both "Become a Dealer" and "Become a Partner" routes. | Two owners in Tarpon Springs. The person who quotes your roofline installs it and answers the phone afterwards. |
JellyFish column quoted from jellyfishlighting.com , their own comparison page checked August 7, 2026. Dealer arrangements and warranty terms vary by territory and change over time. JellyFish Lighting is a trademark of its owner and is used here only to identify the product being compared.
What they do well, in their own words
Their comparison page makes three claims worth knowing about if you are shopping. They describe a four-wire system where "even if a light goes out, the show continues", they publish low power draw at around 1 watt for eave lights, and they promote zoning that controls sections of the house independently from the app.
Those are their statements rather than our testing, and we are not going to pretend to have bench-tested a competitor's product. But they are specific, checkable claims rather than vague superlatives, which is more than a lot of this category offers, and you should hold us to the same standard.
They are also refreshingly blunt about warranties. Their own page argues that offered lifetime warranties are "more illusion than reality", which is a direct shot at two of their competitors and a genuinely useful thing for a shopper to weigh. We pulled that thread properly on the warranty comparison.
The difference that is not on any spec sheet
When two systems are this close on hardware, the outcome is decided by the install. Whether the track runs true across a long fascia. Whether the corners are cut clean. Whether anyone came back after dark to check the runs. Whether the transformer went somewhere sensible or somewhere convenient.
That work is done by people, not by a brand. JellyFish reaches Tampa Bay through a dealer or partner, which is normal for a national brand and says nothing bad about them. It does mean the badge on the quote tells you about the hardware and very little about the crew, and the crew is what decides whether the track runs true.
With us there is nobody in between. Two owners, one number, and the person who designs the layout is the one on the ladder. We are a young company and we are not going to claim a long track record we do not have. What we can offer is that you know exactly who you are hiring, which is the argument we make in full on who fixes it when it breaks.
See what we actually install on the permanent architectural lighting page, or compare the rest of the field from the brand comparison hub.
Questions people ask when comparing
Is your system better than JellyFish?
Not across the board, no. They integrate with Alexa, Google Home, Control4 and Nice-Elan, and the system we install does not do voice control at all today. If running your lights by voice or through a whole-home controller matters to you, that is a real advantage and it is theirs. Source: https://jellyfishlighting.com/, checked August 7, 2026.
Then what is the actual difference?
The dealer layer. JellyFish reaches your street through a dealer or partner, so the crew on your roof is whichever local operator holds your territory, and the brand cannot make one operator as careful as another. To their credit they state the one year labor term themselves rather than leaving it to the dealer, which is more than Gemstone or Trimlight do. But the install is still somebody else, and the install is what decides how the system looks and lasts. With us there is no layer: you hire the two people who will be on your property.
How does the warm white compare?
They publish warm white presets at named color temperatures from 2700K up, which is more specific than most of this category offers. What we could not find anywhere on their site is a statement of how the white is produced, meaning whether there is a separate white diode or whether it is mixed from red, green and blue. We use a fourth diode dedicated to warm white and we are happy to say so plainly. Rather than guess at theirs, ask them the direct question and then look at both systems lit in plain white, on a house, after dark.
Their warranty is written more clearly than yours.
It is, and that is a fair criticism. They publish 5 years on parts and 1 year on labor in plain language. Ours is the manufacturer term on the parts plus our own workmanship guarantee. Ask us for both in writing before you sign anything, and ask them who physically comes out in year two, because that is the part that decides how a warranty actually feels.
Can you service a JellyFish system I already have?
Tell us what it is doing and we will be straight with you. Some faults are generic to any low-voltage track system. Some are tied to their parts and their warranty, and you are better off with your installing dealer, in which case we will say so rather than take the work. Call (727) 222-3111.
What does it cost?
Every roofline is different, which is why neither company publishes a flat price. We come out, measure what you want lit, and give you one written price with no obligation. Financing is available.
Get both quotes. Seriously.
Have us out, have them out, and compare the two written prices and the two people. Ours is free and there is no obligation either way.