Comparison

CFX vs AUTOMATE SHADES

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

Head to head
About

CFX

Monitor and control your compatible fridge/freezer remotely via Wi-Fi. Adjust temperatures, manage power sources, set alarms, and receive alerts for lid openings. Ideal for managing your portable cooling device from a distance.

Highlights
  • Remote temperature control and monitoring
  • Turn fridge/freezer on/off
  • Set battery protection level
  • Select temperature units (°C/°F)
  • Set temperature alarms
  • View power source (AC/DC)
  • Lid open alerts
Features
Read full description

Total CFX monitoring and control at your fingertips! The CFX APP can be used to monitor and control your CFX fridge/freezer from a distance providing you can connect your IPhone to the CFX using Wi-Fi connection. Use the CFX APP to: • Control and monitor temperatures remotely (Wi-Fi connection, distance depends on environment) • Turn on and off the CFX and/or individual compartments • Set your battery protection level • Select temperature unit (°C or °F) • Set temperature alarm (+/-3°C or +/-5°C) • See what power source your CFX is running on – AC or DC • See what the supply voltage level is if running on DC • See whenever your CFX lid is open, and be alerted if open for >3mins. • Change Wi-Fi name and password The CFX APPs works for the following set of CFX models; CFX35W, CFX40W, CFX50W, CFX65W, CFX95DZW and CFX100W. A quick connection guide is available in order to quickly get you connected and started with your CFX APP.

About

AUTOMATE SHADES

Effortlessly control and automate motorized window shades. Organize shades by room, group them into scenes, and set timers for daily routines. Monitor battery levels and signal strength for all shades remotely.

Highlights
  • Room-based organization
  • Scene creation and activation
  • Automated timers
  • Remote control
  • Battery and signal monitoring
  • Sunrise/sunset automation
Features
Read full description

The Automate App has been re-designed to embrace the architecture of a home and provide effortless control of Automate motorized shades. Easily operate or Personalize the daily routine of shades; organising them by room, grouping them by scenes and automating them with timers. Unlock the convenience of smart shade operation, with the Automate app. The new Automate app not only allows you to activate, adjust and automatically position your shades but does so through One Tap on the Shade Tiles. One Tap to close, One Tap to open and One Tap to activate and stop scenes. A double tap stops a shade’s operation, and a single long press opens a dedicated shade control screen giving you access to more customized settings. White tiles indicate the shade is open or partially open and a grey tile indicates the shade is closed. A summary screen displays the battery levels of all your shades along with signal strength indicators, prompting necessary action to either charge your motors or troubleshoot connections. The Automate App lets you create an automation routine, and once setup, autonomously raises and lowers your smart shades at the optimal time, so your home’s climate is always at its best. The Automate app has been designed to make controlling your shades easier than ever with a long list of features and control options! MOTOR TYPES The Automate Hub supports a variety of shade types including: Roller Shades, Romans, Awnings, Drapery, Venetians, Cellular, Skylights, Large Outdoor Shades. LIVE FEEDBACK VIA ARC ARC technology enables live communication between your Hub and Automate shades, so you always know what position your shades are in, as well as the battery percentage of your motor. Quickly check shade information within the app or ask Siri to check for you! SUNRISE AND SUNSET DETECTION Utilizing your home’s time zone and location, the Hub can automatically raise or lower your Automate shades according to the position of the sun. Set a ‘Morning’ scene and watch all your shades promptly rise when you start your day, or create an “Evening” scene that will dynamically alter based on the sunset in your location. SCENES Personalize shade control and organise how your shades operate by specific daily events or scenes automatically at the optimal time. Creating a scene for your entire home can be completed effortlessly with a Scene capture button. SHADE HEALTH Check the health of your motorized shades at a glance with Battery level and Signal strength icons on your device tiles. COMPLETE CONTROL HOME AND AWAY If you have multiple locations like a home, office, or vacation home, simply switch between them for independent control. Always be in charge of your privacy and security! Enjoy your time away from home without having to stress about your shades, the Automate app allows you to remotely access your shades, know their position and operate them as you would if you were home. HOMEKIT The hub is HomeKit compatible, shades are automatically added to the Home app and can be controlled with voice commands via Siri compatible devices. SMART INTEGRATIONS We’re all about convenience, so we’ve partnered with all the latest smart home assistants to deliver the most convenient shade control options. Intuitively operate your Automate shades with simple voice commands through Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, SmartThings, and Google Assistant.

Screenshots

CFX4 screens
AUTOMATE SHADES4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: AUTOMATE SHADES at 3.1 against CFX's 1.2. AUTOMATE SHADES also leads on review sentiment (33% vs 11%). CFX's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 15.1). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AUTOMATE SHADES holds the better App Store score, 3.1 against 1.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 120 and 93 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 11% of CFX's written reviews are positive against 33% of AUTOMATE SHADES's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CFX ships an update weekly, AUTOMATE SHADES every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
CFX versus AUTOMATE SHADES: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCFXAUTOMATE SHADES
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.2 (120 ratings)3.1 (93 ratings) — better
Positive reviews10.9% of reviews32.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings120 — better93
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.3 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB151 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDometic Group ABROLLEASE ACMEDA

Customer experience

CFX

All ratings117 ratings
Positive3.4%
Neutral4.3%
Negative92.3%
Written reviews129 reviews
Positive10.9%
Neutral6.2%
Negative82.9%

AUTOMATE SHADES

All ratings93 ratings
Positive50.5%
Neutral4.3%
Negative45.2%
Written reviews230 reviews
Positive32.6%
Neutral7.8%
Negative59.6%

User reviews

CFX

From 120 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✅ Simple and intuitive interface when working
  • 🎯 Effective temperature and settings control
  • ⚡ Quick setup for some users
  • 📱 Basic functionality operates as designed

Room to improve

  • 🐛 WiFi connection fails consistently
  • 🐛 Bluetooth pairing not recognized
  • 🐛 App stuck on connection guide screen
  • 🐛 App freezes at startup
  • 📵 WiFi connection disables cellular/internet access

AUTOMATE SHADES

From 93 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great customer service
  • 🚀 Fantastic support
  • 🚀 Works as described
  • 🚀 Excellent functionality and flexibility
  • 🚀 Timer function is exceptional

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
  • 🐛 Frequent disconnections and sync issues
  • 🐛 Difficult to set up and configure
  • 🐛 Poor HomeKit and smart home integration
  • 🐛 Unresponsive devices

Bugs and requests

CFX

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • App does not recognize WiFi connection despite phone showing connected
  • Bluetooth search fails to detect cooler
  • App stuck on connection guide as only available option
  • App crashes on startup
  • App freezes during setup process
Show 10 more
  • Cannot get past step 3 of setup
  • Temperature slider snaps back to 0 when setting negative values
  • Plus/minus buttons don't work consistently
  • App crashes when attempting WiFi connection
  • WiFi drops in and out intermittently
  • App doesn't appear in phone settings
  • Voltage readings significantly inaccurate (0.2-0.6V lower than actual)
  • App incompatible with newer iOS versions
  • App incompatible with newer iPhone models
  • Wrong app being promoted (should be 'Mobile Cooling' app instead)

Requested features

7 requests
  • Bluetooth connectivity option
  • Apple Watch app integration
  • Better visual indicators for fridge section status
  • Improved temperature slider with precise control
  • Battery consumption tracking
Show 2 more
  • Current draw monitoring
  • Automatic WiFi connection without manual setup

AUTOMATE SHADES

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Frequent app crashes
  • Shades disappearing from the app
  • Timers and schedules not working as expected
  • Connectivity issues between hub and shades
  • Inconsistent performance after updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved user interface and navigation
  • Better sync and reliability across devices
  • Enhanced smart home integrations
  • Customizable shade positioning and automation
  • Battery level notifications

In-app purchases

None

CFX

No in-app purchases

None

AUTOMATE SHADES

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CFX free?
CFX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AUTOMATE SHADES free?
AUTOMATE SHADES is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CFX or AUTOMATE SHADES?
AUTOMATE SHADES is rated higher. CFX averages 1.2 out of 5 from 120 ratings, while AUTOMATE SHADES averages 3.1 from 93 ratings.
Do CFX or AUTOMATE SHADES have ads?
Neither CFX nor AUTOMATE SHADES shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CFX or AUTOMATE SHADES?
CFX ships an update weekly, and AUTOMATE SHADES every 6 weeks. Most recently, CFX was updated on November 4, 2026 and AUTOMATE SHADES on November 3, 2026.

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