# Hydro vs Public Mobile

The clearest difference is monetization model: Hydro at free against Public Mobile's free with in-app purchases. Hydro also leads on review sentiment (65% vs 45%). Public Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (216 vs 7) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Hydro against 4.5 for Public Mobile. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Public Mobile has 216 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Hydro's written reviews are positive against 45% of Public Mobile's.

Hydro ships an update every 6 weeks, Public Mobile every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hydro | Public Mobile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hydro-quebec/id1045080947/reviews)** | [4.5 (216 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/public-mobile/id1645306824/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **216** |
| Positive reviews | **64.9% of reviews** | 44.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 73 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.7 | **16.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hydro Québec](https://appshunter.io/developer/1045080946) | [TELUS Communications Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1351428851) |

## What reviewers say

### Hydro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hydro-quebec/id1045080947)

Monitor power outages, track your electricity usage, and manage your account. Get outage updates, view consumption data, and access billing information. Receive personalized recommendations to help you save energy.

**Highlights:** Track power outage status, Monitor electricity consumption, View billing and payment history, Sign up for payment plans, Receive outage notifications, Get personalized energy-saving tips

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Useful for tracking consumption
- 💡 Provides outage information
- 💡 Concise and clear interface
- 💡 Good for managing account

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Slow to load
- 🐛 Frequently under maintenance
- 🐛 Unresponsive on mobile
- 🐛 Login issues
- 🐛 App not working

**Reported bugs**

- System verification for outages not working
- Application not supported message
- Application doesn't work
- Impossible to connect after update
- Forgets biometric data

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to classify multiple addresses
- Add 2FA
- Real-time maintenance team arrival status
- Consumption history beyond one day


### Public Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/public-mobile/id1645306824)

This app offers a 5G wireless subscription service with self-service account management. Activate your service, manage plans, track usage, and earn rewards. Get 24/7 online support for all your mobile needs.

**Highlights:** 5G subscription phone service, eSIM activation, Self-service account management, Plan usage tracking, Rewards program, Refer-a-friend savings, 24/7 online support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Surprisingly good service
- 👍 Great app overall
- 👍 Good value for money
- 👍 Smooth and user-friendly
- 👍 Awesome, nothing to complain about

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Just a fake app
- 🔒 Never works properly
- 🔒 Access to support is appalling
- 🐛 Seriously garbage
- 🔒 Deal with care

**Reported bugs**

- Activation issues
- Logging in problems
- App crashes and freezes
- Unreliable service
- Billing and payment issues

**Requested features**

- Wifi calling
- Support for iPad/tablets
- Improve customer service access


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hydro free?

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

### Is Public Mobile free?

Public Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hydro or Public Mobile?

Hydro is rated higher. Hydro averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Public Mobile averages 4.5 from 216 ratings.

### Do Hydro or Public Mobile have ads?

Neither Hydro nor Public Mobile shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hydro or Public Mobile?

Hydro ships an update every 6 weeks, and Public Mobile every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hydro was updated on October 16, 2026 and Public Mobile on October 19, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*