If Celebright is the other bid on your table, this is where the two systems actually diverge. I own the local TruLight dealership, so read this knowing where I sit. What I can do is lay out what each company publishes, explain what those statements actually change on a San Antonio house, and give you the questions that will make both dealers show their work. Our full feature breakdown lives on the TruLight vs. Celebright comparison page if you want the side-by-side first.

Start with the white light, not the Christmas photos

The useful comparison starts with ordinary warm-white output, not holiday scenes. Look at how each system reads on an ordinary Thursday in September, running warm white, when nobody is thinking about holidays.

TruLight builds six LEDs into every RGBW node: three RGB and three dedicated warm white. Dedicated white diodes make white directly rather than mixing red, green and blue to imitate it. Celebright's FAQ describes a compact 20mm frosted bulb rated at 50,000 hours, running on a 24V system. Those are two different approaches to the same problem, and the only way to judge them is with your own eyes after dark.

That matters more here because of what the houses are made of. Limestone, stone veneer and heavy stucco often land on the same elevation, and textured surfaces catch light unevenly. A slightly cool or slightly green white that looks fine on smooth siding will make cream limestone look gray and pull the pink out of a stucco field. Ask each dealer to show you their warm white running on a stone or stucco house, not on a screen, and stand back at the curb where your neighbors will see it.

What the voltage numbers do and do not settle

TruLight is 48V, while Celebright states 24V. That difference alone does not determine run length or injection count. Ask each bidder for the wire gauge, load, run map, supply and injection locations, and the manufacturer limits used for your house.

A long or segmented elevation may require additional wiring or injection points under either system. The house-specific design should show how many and where, so get the answer in writing on the quote: how many injection points does my house need, where exactly do they go, and where does the transformer mount?

Zoning is what makes the system worth using year round

Zoning means splitting your run into sections you can control separately. Without it, the system stays a seasonal decoration instead of outdoor lighting you use on an ordinary night. A useful setup might be warm white over the front door and driveway every night, the back patio on its own zone at a lower level, and the peaks and gables held back so the front of the house does not look like a runway.

Because a zone often runs at a fraction of full output, the output the fixture starts with sets the ceiling on what zoning can do. Node count alone does not establish usable light output, so compare published photometric data or view both systems at the dimming level you would actually run. Ask each dealer how many zones your quote includes, whether zones can be scheduled independently, and whether a section that runs the opposite direction from the rest of the roofline can be reversed so the pattern moves correctly across a peak.

On the app side, Celebright's FAQ lists integration with Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and IFTTT. If voice control or automation matters to you, ask both companies to demo it on a phone in front of you rather than describing it. More on how our system is designed is on our permanent lighting page.

Storms, heat and the exclusions worth reading twice

What tests hardware in Bexar County is hail, straight line wind, driving rain and long stretches of direct sun. So read past the headline warranty number and go straight to the exclusions list.

Read both warranties looking specifically for how they treat storm and hail damage, wind, sun and heat degradation, damage caused by roofers or painters working near the track, pest and rodent damage, and power surges. Then ask a plain question: if a hailstorm takes out ten feet of track, who pays for the parts, who pays for the labor, and how fast can somebody get out here?

Celebright's warranty page states a 10-year component warranty for systems purchased on or after January 1, 2025, and Celebright describes that coverage as transferable to a new homeowner. The same page states that systems bought before that date keep earlier 5-year terms, which Celebright describes as non-transferable. Our current terms are published on our warranty page.

Specs and warranty language change. Everything cited here was accurate on the sources listed below as of August 10, 2026. What binds anybody is the written quote and the written warranty each local dealer gives you, so ask for both as documents and compare them line by line rather than trusting any summary, including this one.

Before you take it to the HOA

Some San Antonio neighborhoods require architectural approval before exterior work, and a rejected submission can cost you a season. Whichever brand you pick, ask the dealer for the material they will give you to submit:

A photo or sample of the track in the exact color you chose, next to your trim or fascia color
A written description of the mounting method and where the channel sits on the eave
Where the transformer and any injection points mount, and whether they are visible from the street
A description of the proposed everyday color and brightness, if your association requests it
Whether the dealer has submitted to your specific association before and can share what the board asked for

Ask each dealer what HOA documentation is included and who will help if the board requests revisions.

The short version

Get quotes from both. Ask each one how white is produced, how many zones and injection points your specific house needs, what the exclusions say about hail and sun, who performs warranty service locally and what a covered service call costs you. Then go look at two finished houses at night. The written quote and the written warranty settle this comparison better than any article can.

Sources

Celebright FAQ, accessed August 10, 2026: 24V system, 20mm frosted bulb, ETL listing 5023546, 50,000 hour bulb rating, and Google Home, Amazon Alexa and IFTTT integration.
Celebright warranty, accessed August 10, 2026: Celebright states a 10-year component warranty effective January 1, 2025, which Celebright describes as transferable, and earlier 5-year terms for prior purchases, which Celebright describes as non-transferable.
TruLight vs. Celebright comparison and TruLight warranty terms.

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TruLight vs. Celebright: A San Antonio Homeowner's Comparison