# Smart Shades vs Smart Shade Control

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Smart Shade Control at 100% against Smart Shades's 25%. Smart Shade Control also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.1). Smart Shades's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (65 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smart Shade Control sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Smart Shades asks for nothing beyond the download.

Smart Shade Control holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart Shades has 65 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Smart Shades's written reviews are positive against 100% of Smart Shade Control's.

Smart Shades ships an update every 2 months, Smart Shade Control monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smart Shades | Smart Shade Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-shades/id1016406862/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-shade-control/id6765481489/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **65** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 47 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wazombi](https://appshunter.io/developer/922472388) | [Gary Cox](https://appshunter.io/developer/1083086974) |

## What reviewers say

### Smart Shades

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-shades/id1016406862)

Transform your existing window shades into smart devices with this solar-powered, wireless gadget. Control your blinds remotely via a smartphone app, setting custom schedules and automated movements for enhanced convenience.

**Highlights:** Turns regular shades into smart shades, Solar-powered operation, Wireless and easy installation, Smartphone app control, Automated patterns and schedules, Bluetooth Low Energy communication

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works with HomeKit
- 👍 Automations and scenes work
- 👍 Good product, great service
- 👍 Easy to set up
- 👍 Works well with HomeKit

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 App not opening
- 🐛 Basic and poorly designed
- 🐛 Unreliable connectivity
- 🐛 Software awful

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes with Smart Shades 3
- App crashes after update
- App crashes instantly
- App closes itself right away
- App won't open at all

**Requested features**

- Matter support
- Change app language
- Change highest/lowest position
- Recalibrate function
- Simple up and down buttons


### Smart Shade Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-shade-control/id6765481489)

Effortlessly manage your smart window shades with direct local control. Automate opening and closing based on schedules, sunrise/sunset, or your location. Integrate with Siri and Shortcuts for hands-free operation and create custom scenes.

**Highlights:** Direct Matter/Thread pairing, Local cloud-free operation, Sunrise/sunset automation, Geofence triggers, Siri and Shortcuts integration, Customizable scenes, Usage analytics

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Pro Access | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smart Shades free?

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

### Is Smart Shade Control free?

Smart Shade Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Smart Shades or Smart Shade Control?

Smart Shade Control is rated higher. Smart Shades averages 2.1 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while Smart Shade Control averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Smart Shades or Smart Shade Control have ads?

Neither Smart Shades nor Smart Shade Control shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smart Shades or Smart Shade Control?

Smart Shades ships an update every 2 months, and Smart Shade Control monthly. Most recently, Smart Shades was updated on October 22, 2026 and Smart Shade Control on October 6, 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.*