# Orphek vs Smart Reef

Orphek and Smart Reef both sit at 1.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 50% of Orphek's written reviews are positive against 4% of Smart Reef's. Orphek also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 14.6). Smart Reef's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (19 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smart Reef sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Orphek asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 1.5 for Orphek against 1.6 for Smart Reef. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart Reef has 19 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Orphek's written reviews are positive against 4% of Smart Reef's.

Orphek ships an update every 11 months, Smart Reef every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on June 24, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Orphek | Smart Reef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orphek/id1078596183/reviews) | **[1.6 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-reef/id1480355166/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **19** |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 3.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 10 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 14.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ORPHEK LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1078596182) | [Reef Factory sp. z o.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1367901113) |

## What reviewers say

### Orphek

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orphek/id1078596183)

Control and monitor Orphek Atlantik V4 and V3 Plus LED lighting systems wirelessly. Manage your aquarium lights from any location with internet access, offering advanced programming and monitoring capabilities.

**Highlights:** Wireless IoT control, Remote monitoring, Programming capabilities, Local and global access, Supports Atlantik V4/V3 Plus series

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Smart Reef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-reef/id1480355166)

Manage your marine aquarium with this app. It provides device management, alerts for issues, and detailed historical data. A central dashboard offers a clear overview of your aquarium's status and device operations.

**Highlights:** Device management, Aquarium alerts, Measurement history, Operational status dashboard, Planned job journal, Preset sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Warranty 3 years | $12.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $17.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $19.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $24.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $29.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $34.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $39.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Orphek free?

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

### Is Smart Reef free?

Smart Reef is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Orphek or Smart Reef?

Smart Reef is rated higher. Orphek averages 1.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Smart Reef averages 1.6 from 19 ratings.

### Do Orphek or Smart Reef have ads?

Neither Orphek nor Smart Reef shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Orphek or Smart Reef?

Orphek ships an update every 11 months, and Smart Reef every 3 months. Most recently, Orphek was updated on June 24, 2026 and Smart Reef on September 26, 2026.

---

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