Comparison

eFire vs U by Moen Smart Shower

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

Head to head
About

eFire

Control your Bluetooth-enabled fireplace directly from your smartphone. Adjust flame height, blower speed, and LED lighting with an intuitive interface. Create custom ambiance with millions of colors or set pre-programmed moods.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth fireplace control
  • Adjust flame height
  • Control blower speed
  • Manage multicolor LED lights
  • Customizable LED color wheel
  • Set ambiance with Emberbed mode
  • 24hr Auto OFF timer
Features
Read full description

Napoleon’s eFIRE app will revolutionize the way you use your fireplace. The first fireplace to be controlled by Bluetooth, using an app on your smartphone. As soon as you launch the app, it’s startlingly easy to use. The intuitive interface knows just what you want, and with easy toggle sliders you can control everything on your fireplace from the flame height, blower to LED lights. Imagine having total control of a room’s ambiance with just a couple of gestures. Full mastery of your ember bed allows you to create every imaginable color, selecting the one that fits the mood, or the décor with ease, the simple color wheel tool swiftly scrolls through the colors. Or set the mood with one touch. Ember Bed Mode instantly creates ambiance with the look of a banked fire, softly glowing. Get the atmosphere without the heat, you can even cycle through, and set the color without the fire even being on. Additionally the Napoleon’s eFIRE app has all of the same functions as a traditional fireplace remote; by controlling ON/OFF, flame height and blower speed. Now you can personalize the experience with your smartphone by controlling the following options - Flame height - Blower speed (if equipped) - 24hr Auto OFF timer - LED Multi color Lights providing over 16,000,000 different colors - LED color wheel to pick any color - LED cycle mode to cycle between the most vibrant Red, green and blue colors - LED Emberbed mode which best represents a real burning Ember bed - Quick access to multiple fireplaces equipped with Napoleon Bluetooth - Accent Night Light control - Split flow valve control - Auxiliary Contact control - Continuous pilot control 7 Day on demand pilot feature that will automatically turn off the main burner and keep the pilot active if there is no activity from the controller for 24hrs. The pilot will remain active for 7 days then turn off if there is no activity from the user or no call for heat. This new feature will help save fuel consumption and save on operational costs. The New Auxiliary Contact Control feature on the app lets the user know if the Fireplace is being controlled by another device. For safety reasons the fireplace can only be controlled by 1 device at a time and the remote that comes with the fireplace will have priority over the Bluetooth control.

About

U by Moen Smart Shower

Control your shower remotely and personalize your experience with this smart shower system. Set up to 12 custom presets, including temperature and duration, and activate your shower using voice commands or your smartphone. Enjoy a perfectly tailored shower every time.

Highlights
  • Wi-Fi/cloud-based digital shower system
  • Mobile app control
  • Voice activation (Alexa, HomeKit, Siri, Google Assistant)
  • Up to 12 personalized shower presets
  • Remote shower activation and warm-up pause
  • Precise temperature control
  • On-screen shower status feedback
Features
Read full description

• U by Moen shower is a Wi-Fi/cloud-based digital shower system that offers mobile connectivity • To create a personalized showering experience, U features three ways to control your shower: voice, phone and controller • With voice activation, you can activate your shower with the sound of your voice through Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Siri, as well as Google Assistant. • Download the U by Moen smartphone app to personalize and control your shower from your smartphone • Through the app you can: o create up to 12 personalized shower presets, including name, greeting, outlets, temperature, shower timer and notifications o turn on your shower from bed and have the shower pause once it warms up to your desired temperature, saving time and water until you are ready to step in o customize system wide settings such as outlet icons, which Wi-Fi network the system is connected to, language and time zone • The U by Moen shower system includes a digital valve that offers precise temperature control and a Wi-Fi connected digital shower controller that provides feedback on the shower status through on-screen messaging and notifications in the U by Moen app. It also pairs with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Siri, as well as Google Assistant for a seamless, integrated experience. • To learn more about U by Moen shower, visit www.moen.com/smart-home/smart-shower

Screenshots

eFire4 screens
U by Moen Smart Shower4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: eFire at free against U by Moen Smart Shower's paid. eFire also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 14.0). U by Moen Smart Shower's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 1.7 for eFire against 1.6 for U by Moen Smart Shower. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 62 and 168 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 6% of eFire's written reviews are positive against 9% of U by Moen Smart Shower's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

eFire ships an update every 9 months, U by Moen Smart Shower every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on August 6, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
eFire versus U by Moen Smart Shower: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametereFireU by Moen Smart Shower
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.7 (62 ratings) — better1.6 (168 ratings)
Positive reviews6.1% of reviews8.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings62168 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWOLF STEEL USA INCMoen Incorporated

Customer experience

eFire

All ratings62 ratings
Positive11.3%
Neutral8.1%
Negative80.6%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive6.1%
Neutral6.1%
Negative87.9%

U by Moen Smart Shower

All ratings168 ratings
Positive8.9%
Neutral7.7%
Negative83.3%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive8.8%
Neutral9.6%
Negative81.6%

User reviews

eFire

From 62 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Handy app when working
  • 👍 User-friendly once figured out
  • 👍 Seamless device switching
  • 👍 Crazy cool operation

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent connection issues
  • 🐛 App doesn't connect
  • 🐛 Bluetooth fails
  • 🐛 Functionality is useless
  • 🐛 Glitchy and unreliable

U by Moen Smart Shower

From 168 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Works well once set up
  • 👍 Convenient configurations and presets
  • 💡 Requests for more customization options

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent disconnections and reconnection issues
  • 🐛 Unreliable app and controller functionality
  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer devices and OS updates
  • 🐛 Buggy and crash-prone app
  • 🔒 Security and privacy concerns with cloud-based system

Bugs and requests

eFire

Reported bugs

117 issues
  • First remotes didn't work
  • Cannot sign on when wife has app open
  • No login
  • Backlights are dim
  • Forgot password, no reset option
Show 112 more
  • Cannot control temperature
  • Does not connect via Bluetooth
  • Fireplace password and settings revert to factory default
  • App is glitchy
  • Functionality is useless
  • Doesn't control fireplace more than 80% of the time
  • No obvious solution to forgotten password
  • Doesn't connect easily
  • Doesn't always work
  • Never able to find and connect
  • Factory remote locks out app
  • Requires dealer technician service call to reset
  • Cannot switch between phone and remote without dealer
  • Never worked
  • Doesn't see fireplace
  • Can't use some settings
  • New update never released
  • App is useless
  • Doesn't control anything
  • Found fireplace, put in password, nothing happens
  • Deleted and reloaded, same result
  • Incredibly challenging to pair
  • Won't let more than one user use app at a time
  • Fireplace will not find phone
  • No way to re-sync
  • Can't use light functionality
  • App does not work
  • Promoted as great feature, doesn't work
  • App loads improperly
  • Offers no value to customers
  • Should be pulled from App Store
  • Will not connect
  • Blank connect screen
  • Limited help on website
  • Works once, then doesn't work again
  • Remove and install again, doesn't work
  • Repeat cycle
  • Worked once, then doesn't work
  • Remote eats batteries and is quirky
  • Spouse cannot operate remote without problems
  • Cannot use multicolor LEDs if fireplace turned on with app
  • Remote is in use locks app control
  • Overdeveloped in meaningless ways
  • Underdeveloped in important places
  • Doesn't locate fireplace
  • Technology isn't next level
  • Nobody cared to respond or help
  • Do not enable password
  • Won't recognize password
  • No reset option or ability to turn off password
  • Cannot adjust temperature
  • App doesn't work
  • Keeps asking to confirm password (0000) and won't execute
  • No way to reset password
  • Dealer must offer support
  • One person turns on with phone, another can't turn off
  • Features don't work on app like remote
  • No home automation options
  • Bluetooth shows connected, app can't find fireplace
  • Very bad app
  • Broken, poorly made, frustrating
  • Poorly written prompts
  • Buttons do nothing
  • No feedback if buttons work
  • Terrible UX
  • Screen jumping
  • Amateurish app
  • Can't reconnect to turn off
  • Worked one time, hasn't worked since
  • Controls do nothing 90% of the time
  • Rarely works for 10 minutes
  • Fireplace is found and connected, but doesn't act on commands
  • Can't get past login screen
  • Hitting button does nothing
  • No way to reset PW
  • App freezes after password
  • Removed and reinstalled, same problem
  • Pulled power to fireplace, tried to reconnect, same problem
  • Installers not familiar with app
  • Can't get fireplace to connect
  • Rarely finds fireplace
  • Says connected, but can't control
  • Can only turn fireplace on or off
  • Cannot change color or dim nightlight if controlled by remote
  • App cannot control all supposed features
  • App crashed
  • Timer button closes app
  • None of the functions did anything
  • Turned off power with remote, then app worked
  • Cannot use both at the same time
  • Rarely connects
  • Some controls don't work when connected
  • Changed password, login incorrect
  • Doesn't give option to reset password
  • Bluetooth didn't see anything
  • Unplugged Bluetooth in fireplace, then connected
  • Phone app by itself doesn't work
  • Have to fiddle with remote and app for lights
  • LED lights stop working with smart flame
  • No comparable smart flame choice with phone
  • Lights aren't coming on with app
  • Won't recognize factory password
  • App goes to a blank list
  • Only one Bluetooth device can be connected
  • Remote won't work if another Bluetooth device is paired
  • App can't find fireplace
  • Lazy employees at sale locations
  • Can't choose fireplace
  • Igniting from app, remote doesn't work
  • Turning off fire from app, can't keep blower on
  • App starts, asks to choose fireplace from blank screen
  • Doesn't go anywhere from there

Requested features

11 requests
  • Invest in better app experience
  • UI update needed
  • Connectivity with Google/Alexa
  • Nest level controls for temperature
  • Temperature setting by time of day/day of week
Show 6 more
  • HomeKit integration
  • Allow multiple Bluetooth devices
  • Improve technology for expensive units
  • Allow remote and app to work simultaneously
  • Fix bugs for blower/flame control
  • Add timer functionality

U by Moen Smart Shower

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App fails to connect to shower controller
  • Inconsistent time zone and clock display
  • Shower controller resets or malfunctions after updates
  • Inability to change order of shower outlets in the app

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for Arizona time zone
  • Allow customization of screen color and animations
  • Improve Alexa and HomeKit integration
  • Provide more granular control and settings in the app
  • Add maintenance reminders and diagnostics

In-app purchases

None

eFire

No in-app purchases

None

U by Moen Smart Shower

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is eFire free?
eFire is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is U by Moen Smart Shower free?
U by Moen Smart Shower is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, eFire or U by Moen Smart Shower?
eFire is rated higher. eFire averages 1.7 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while U by Moen Smart Shower averages 1.6 from 168 ratings.
Do eFire or U by Moen Smart Shower have ads?
Neither eFire nor U by Moen Smart Shower shows ads.
Which is updated more often, eFire or U by Moen Smart Shower?
eFire ships an update every 9 months, and U by Moen Smart Shower every 3 months. Most recently, eFire was updated on August 6, 2026 and U by Moen Smart Shower on September 4, 2026.

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