Comparison

tpPLC vs IP Scanner

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

Head to head
About

tpPLC

Easily view and manage your TP-Link powerline devices from your smartphone or tablet. Connect to your powerline extender's Wi-Fi to control individual adapters, update settings, and monitor your entire powerline network.

Highlights
  • View all compatible powerline devices
  • Manage individual device settings
  • Control Wi-Fi settings for extenders
  • Add new powerline devices
  • Set network-wide LED status
  • Monitor data rates
Features
Read full description

TP-Link tpPLC app lets you conveniently view and manage your TP-Link powerline devices via your smart device. Simply connect your smart device to the Wi-Fi network of a compatible TP-Link powerline extender and start managing with ease. It will list all the compatible powerline adapters and powerline extenders in your current network, and allow you to manage your powerline devices individually as well as the whole powerline network with a few taps. Features • Display information of all compatible powerline devices in the current network. • Manage a powerline device such as changing its device name, turning on or off its LEDs, viewing its data rate, resetting to factory defaults, and removing it from the current network. For a powerline extender, you can also change and schedule its Wi-Fi settings, and redirect to the web management interface. • Manage the whole powerline network such as adding a new powerline device, setting a new powerline network name, and turning on or off the LEDs on all the powerline devices in the network. Compatible Devices: https://www.tp-link.com/powerline/compatible-devices/ Privacy Policy & Terms of Use https://privacy.tp-link.com/app/tpPLC/privacy

About

IP Scanner

This app scans your local network to identify all active devices. It offers fast results, customizable device information, and tools like PING and Wake on LAN. Save and manage past scans for easy reference.

Highlights
  • Fast network scanning
  • Customizable device names and icons
  • Save and review past scans
  • PING, Wake on LAN, Port Scan tools
  • Save and import custom device lists
  • Import/export scan results
Features
Read full description

IP Scanner for iOS scans your local area network to determine the identity of all active machines and internet devices on the LAN. Powerful results, yet easy, quick and intuitive to use. Key features: * Extremely fast scan results * Customizable results - assign your own names and icons to discovered devices * Save and consult past scans * PING, Wake on LAN and Port Scan tools built right in * Save and import custom device lists, or sync via iCloud * Import/export scan results via email or bonjour * Clean, professional design that is customizable and easy to use The free version has no restrictions at all on functionality and can identify up to 15 devices at a time. * To unlock unlimited devices in a scan, we offer an in-app upgrade to Pro. * For even more features, including realtime push notifications on network changes, a network DVR-style history browser and a true universal app bundle with native, optimized versions for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Apple Watch, check out IP Scanner Ultra in the app store https://apple.co/3gz0tu6

Screenshots

tpPLC4 screens
IP Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: IP Scanner at 60% against tpPLC's 15%. IP Scanner also leads on rating (4.6 vs 1.7) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). tpPLC's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26). On price and ads 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. IP Scanner sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. tpPLC asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

IP Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: IP Scanner has 889 ratings behind it against 165, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 15% of tpPLC's written reviews are positive against 60% of IP Scanner's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

tpPLC ships an update every 4 months, IP Scanner fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
tpPLC versus IP Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametertpPLCIP Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.7 (165 ratings)4.6 (889 ratings) — better
Positive reviews14.9% of reviews60.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings165889 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better26
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTP-Link Systems Inc.Matia labs, inc.

Customer experience

tpPLC

All ratings165 ratings
Positive15.8%
Neutral3.6%
Negative80.6%
Written reviews363 reviews
Positive14.9%
Neutral5.0%
Negative80.2%

IP Scanner

All ratings889 ratings
Positive90.7%
Neutral3.8%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews128 reviews
Positive60.2%
Neutral10.9%
Negative28.9%

User reviews

tpPLC

From 165 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy setup
  • 🔒 Secure network
  • 👍 Reliable performance

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent device detection
  • 🔍 Limited functionality
  • 🤔 Confusing configuration
  • 💤 Frequent disconnections

IP Scanner

From 889 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and effective
  • 🚀 Immediate response to issues
  • 📈 Indispensable for home and SMB networks
  • 🔍 Useful network scanning tool
  • 🔧 Helps identify devices on the network

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes on startup or update
  • 💰 Expensive for full functionality
  • 🤔 Confusing or non-intuitive UI
  • 🔍 Difficulty identifying some devices
  • 🔋 Resource-intensive scanning

Bugs and requests

tpPLC

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App fails to detect compatible devices
  • Inability to change passwords or settings
  • Frequent crashes and timeouts
  • Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Support for more device models
  • Improved network diagnostics
  • Better mobile app integration
  • Scheduled Wi-Fi on/off controls

IP Scanner

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes on startup
  • Unstable on macOS
  • Inconsistent scan results across devices
  • Loses custom device names after scans
  • Detects devices that are no longer on the network

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to print selected fields
  • Include notes in printouts
  • Resizable settings window
  • Option to block or remove devices
  • Improved device identification

In-app purchases

None

tpPLC

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

IP Scanner

One-time2
  • IP Scanner Pro Upgrade (iOS)$19.99
  • IP Scanner Pro Upgrade (MacOS)$19.99

Questions

Is tpPLC free?
tpPLC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is IP Scanner free?
IP Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, tpPLC or IP Scanner?
IP Scanner is rated higher. tpPLC averages 1.7 out of 5 from 165 ratings, while IP Scanner averages 4.6 from 889 ratings.
Do tpPLC or IP Scanner have ads?
Neither tpPLC nor IP Scanner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, tpPLC or IP Scanner?
tpPLC ships an update every 4 months, and IP Scanner fortnightly. Most recently, tpPLC was updated on September 22, 2026 and IP Scanner on September 25, 2026.

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