Comparison

Simple Home vs Kangaroo

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Simple Home

Effortlessly transform your house into a smart, automated home. This application enables you to set up and manage all compatible WiFi-enabled products remotely. Control lights, monitor your home, and automate actions based on motion or schedules.

Highlights
  • Remote control of smart devices
  • Automated lighting control
  • Home monitoring and recording
  • Motion detection alerts
  • Device scheduling
  • Control from anywhere
Features
Read full description

Like the name says, we make it simple to make your house smart and automated. The Simple Home App allows you to setup and control any of the Simple Home WiFi products from anywhere in the world. One App To Control It All Control your lights and change the color based on your mood Turn off lights in your kids room from your phone Turn off plugged in devices from anywhere (forgot to turn off the iron, no problem) Keep an eye on your home and record what’s going on Get notified when motion is detected in your home Have a motion sensor turn on a light for you, so you don’t have to look for a light switch when you walk into a dark room Turn your lights and plugs on and off with the easy to setup scheduler Simple Home products are required to use this app. Find them online or at your local retailer. Simple Home line of products include: Smart Wall Plug Smart Wall Plug with Energy Monitor and USB Ports LED Light Bulb Multi-Color LED Light Bulb Motion Sensor Security Camera Pan and Tilt Security Camera Outdoor Camera Alarm Siren Door/Window Sensor Water Sensor All Simple Home products use your existing 2.4GHz WiFi. No need for gateways or hubs! Best of all--no monthly fees!

About

Kangaroo

Monitor and manage your home security system remotely. Set up devices easily and receive alerts on your phone. Opt for free self-monitoring or upgrade to plans with professional monitoring and reimbursement for theft or damage.

Highlights
  • Remote monitoring
  • Arm/disarm controls
  • Customizable alerts
  • Step-by-step setup
  • Self-monitoring option
  • Optional protection plans
  • Theft and damage reimbursement
Read full description

All you need to get started protecting your space is this app, your Kangaroo device, and WiFi. It takes just a few minutes to follow our step-by-step setup — then you’ll be able to keep tabs on your space from anywhere. Arm, disarm, and manage alerts all from your phone with our convenient, easy-to-use app. You can even get started for $0! Choose to self-monitor your stuff at no cost, or add one of our protect plans for added benefits like Professional Monitoring, theft and damage reimbursement, extended Cloud Storage, Text & Voice Notifications, and more. While Kangaroo devices keep you protected, the Cam Protect and Complete Protect plans will pay you back when incidents of theft or damage occur. Yep, we don’t just have your back. We pay you back. If you choose Cam or Complete Protect, payments will be charged directly to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. The account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the Account Settings after purchase. Terms of Use https://info.heykangaroo.com/legal With Kangaroo, you’ll stay covered indoors and out with our security solutions and coverage plans. No hassles or headaches.

Screenshots

Simple Home4 screens
Kangaroo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Kangaroo at 4.6 against Simple Home's 1.4. Kangaroo also leads on review sentiment (35% vs 4%) and ratings volume (7.4K vs 126). Simple Home's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 14.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Kangaroo sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Simple Home asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Kangaroo holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kangaroo has 7.4K ratings behind it against 126, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 4% of Simple Home's written reviews are positive against 35% of Kangaroo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Home ships an update every 11 days, Kangaroo weekly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Simple Home versus Kangaroo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple HomeKangaroo
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.4 (126 ratings)4.6 (7.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews4.0% of reviews34.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1267.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB158 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJem Accessories, IncROO INC

Customer experience

Simple Home

All ratings126 ratings
Positive4.0%
Neutral4.8%
Negative91.3%
Written reviews75 reviews
Positive4.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative92.0%

Kangaroo

All ratings7,400 ratings
Positive89.8%
Neutral4.6%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews138 reviews
Positive34.8%
Neutral16.7%
Negative48.6%

User reviews

Simple Home

From 126 App Store ratings

Room to improve

  • ❌ App doesn't load
  • ❌ Account creation fails
  • ❌ Devices won't connect
  • ❌ No email verification
  • ❌ App crashes frequently

Kangaroo

From 7.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy setup
  • 👍 User-friendly app
  • 🔒 Affordable security system
  • 🚀 Reliable performance
  • 👍 Great value for money

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues
  • 🔋 Battery life problems
  • 📷 Poor camera quality
  • 🔔 Quiet siren
  • 🐛 Buggy app and features

Bugs and requests

Simple Home

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • App stuck on loading/buffering
  • Cannot create account
  • Account confirmation email not sent
  • App does not send verification email
  • Unable to connect smart devices
Show 10 more
  • Device does not connect to WiFi
  • App crashes
  • QR code scanner screen is black
  • Cannot add devices
  • Push notifications stopped working
  • App closes during installation
  • Schedule end time error
  • App requires frequent re-login
  • Devices stop working after a year
  • App not compatible with latest iPhone/iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Update app for new iPhones
  • Add Touch ID login
  • Develop iPad version
  • Add smoke/carbon monoxide detector

Kangaroo

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Devices randomly disconnect from WiFi
  • Arm/disarm feature not working consistently
  • Notifications not working as expected
  • Camera not capturing clear images

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add live video streaming
  • Improve motion detection sensitivity
  • Provide more customization options
  • Integrate with Google Home/Assistant
  • Offer monthly subscription option

In-app purchases

None

Simple Home

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Kangaroo

Subscriptions8
  • Kangaroo Complete Monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Kangaroo Complete Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Porch Protection Annual14 Days trial$23.991 Year
Show 5 more
  • Porch Protection Annual 300$23.991 Year
  • Porch Protection Annual1 Year trial$23.991 Year
  • Camera Protect Annual 25014 Days trial3 variants$23.991 Year
  • Kangaroo Complete Yearly14 Days trial$98.991 Year
  • Complete Protect Annual 100014 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Simple Home free?
Simple Home is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Kangaroo free?
Kangaroo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Simple Home or Kangaroo?
Kangaroo is rated higher. Simple Home averages 1.4 out of 5 from 126 ratings, while Kangaroo averages 4.6 from 7.4K ratings.
Do Simple Home or Kangaroo have ads?
Neither Simple Home nor Kangaroo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Home or Kangaroo?
Simple Home ships an update every 11 days, and Kangaroo weekly. Most recently, Simple Home was updated on October 24, 2026 and Kangaroo on October 24, 2026.

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