Comparison

SwitchBot vs TP

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

Head to head
About

SwitchBot

Control smart devices like bots, hubs, and sensors remotely. Schedule appliance operation and monitor environmental conditions. Expand your smart home ecosystem with new devices and features.

Highlights
  • Remote device control
  • Appliance scheduling
  • Environmental monitoring
  • Hub integration
  • Camera cloud storage
Features
Read full description

You can control the SwitchBot Bot with a tap on the icons. You can schedule your appliances to turn on or off according to your preference with SwitchBot Hub Mini. You can monitor the environment of your family and properties with SwitchBot Thermometer and Hygrometer. And that’s just the beginning. Purchase a SwitchBot device and download the app to get started today. Stay tuned for updates as we add new features and new products to the SwitchBot family. SwitchBot Camera Cloud Storage Service Subscription Cycle: 1 month (monthly plans) Subscription Price: $3.99/month (monthly plans) Payment: Users confirm the purchase and proceed to payment. Users can manage this subscription and the auto-renewal via their Apple ID > Subscriptions. Cancellation: Users can manually cancel this subscription via Apple ID > Subscriptions at least 24 hours before the current subscription period expires. Renewal: The user's account will be charged within 24 hours before the end of the current period, and the subscription will be extended for another period upon successful payment. Term of Use: https://www.switch-bot.com/pages/switchbot-terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://www.switch-bot.com/pages/switchbot-privacy-policy - Website: switch-bot.com - Facebook: @SwitchBotRobot - Instagram: @theswitchbot - Twitter: @SwitchBot

About

TP

Manage and control your smart home devices, including cameras, plugs, and lighting, from a single app. Monitor your home in real-time, automate routines with Smart Actions, and enjoy hands-free voice control. Enhance your home's security and convenience with intelligent features.

Highlights
  • Remote device control
  • Real-time status monitoring
  • Instant notifications
  • Smart Actions automation
  • Voice control integration
  • Device sharing
Features
Read full description

Set up, manage, and control Tapo home security cameras, smart plugs, smart lighting, and more – all from the Tapo app. Tapo aims to help you live a smarter, easier, and more secure life. - Control from Afar Quickly and easily connect and control all your devices from a single tap, no matter where you are! Organize your devices across Homes and Rooms with ease. Group your devices for batch control. You can also share devices to your friends or family members to control together. - Know what’s going on Get the status of your devices in real time. Understand what’s going on at home at a glance, and get instant notifications. Intelligent features in the Tapo home security cameras let you tune into the action live, record important moments, talk to your pets, and scare away intruders. *Get up to 30 days of cloud video history and enjoy AI detections with Tapo Care (subscription service) for Tapo home security cameras. - Automate your home with Smart Actions Make your Tapo devices work around your daily routine. Have your lights gently wake you up in the morning or turn off all your home devices when you leave home. Custom Smart Actions give your home that level of intelligence in a snap. - Hands-free Voice Control Use your voice to control your Tapo devices via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri or your favorite smart assistant. Simple voice commands let you turn on/off devices, or adjust the brightness/temperature/color. You can even cast your security cameras to display on your TV – without opening the app. Stay tuned for updates as we add new features and products to the Tapo family! For more information about your Tapo, visit www.tapo.com Terms of Use https://www.tapo.com/app/privacy/#terms-of-use Privacy Policy https://www.tapo.com/app/privacy/#privacy-policy

Screenshots

SwitchBot4 screens
TP4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TP at 4.8 against SwitchBot's 3.4. TP also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 32%) and ratings volume (21K vs 835). On price, update cadence, 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. SwitchBot sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and TP sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TP holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TP has 21K ratings behind it against 835, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of SwitchBot's written reviews are positive against 74% of TP's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SwitchBot ships an update fortnightly, TP every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
SwitchBot versus TP: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSwitchBotTP
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (835 ratings)4.8 (21K ratings) — better
Positive reviews31.6% of reviews73.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings83521K — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#14 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.114.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size645 MB822 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerwonderlabs, IncorporatedTP-Link Systems Inc.

Customer experience

SwitchBot

All ratings835 ratings
Positive54.7%
Neutral6.9%
Negative38.3%
Written reviews490 reviews
Positive31.6%
Neutral15.1%
Negative53.3%

TP

All ratings21,136 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral1.0%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews5,210 reviews
Positive73.9%
Neutral5.8%
Negative20.3%

User reviews

SwitchBot

From 835 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Reliable and stable app
  • 👍 Easy to use and set up
  • 💡 Useful features like temperature/humidity monitoring
  • 🚀 Responsive customer support

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app with frequent crashes and disconnections
  • 👎 Poor user interface and unintuitive navigation
  • 🔋 Battery life issues with some devices
  • 🔒 Security concerns with mandatory account creation and data sharing

TP

From 21K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy setup and use
  • 👍 Clear and responsive app
  • 🔒 Reliable security features
  • 💡 Customizable settings and modes
  • 🔍 Excellent video and audio quality

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional connectivity issues
  • 🔒 Limited user sharing/access controls
  • 🔋 Frequent notifications/timeout prompts
  • 💻 Compatibility issues on some devices
  • 💰 Subscription required for full functionality

Bugs and requests

SwitchBot

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Firmware update issues
  • Devices disappearing from the app
  • Unreliable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Incorrect temperature and humidity readings

Requested features

4 requests
  • Sunrise/sunset automation support
  • Ability to set more than 5 schedules
  • Improved widget functionality
  • Integration with Apple HomeKit and Siri

TP

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inconsistent camera positioning/control
  • Date/time stamp errors on recordings
  • Unreliable motion detection triggering
  • Frequent app crashes or freezes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to delete recorded footage
  • Landscape mode support on tablets
  • Customizable motion detection zones
  • Improved Alexa/Google Home integration
  • Battery-powered camera option

In-app purchases

18 purchases

SwitchBot

Subscriptions18
  • cloud storage-2cams weekly$0.997 Days
  • AI Agent Plan$1.691 Month
  • Basic Monthly Plan1 Month trial2 variants$3.991 Month
Show 15 more
  • Test$3.991 Month
  • Test1 Month trial$3.991 Month
  • Starter Plan1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Plus Monthly Plan$6.991 Month
  • Home Plan$8.991 Month
  • Basic Monthly Plan1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • cloud storage-3cams monthly$10.991 Month
  • Home Plus$13.991 Month
  • Family Monthly Plan$20.991 Month
  • Home Max7 Days trial$22.991 Month
  • Basic Annual Plan$34.991 Year
  • Starter Plan(Annual)$49.991 Year
  • Plus Annual Plan$69.991 Year
  • cloud storage-1cam weekly7 Days trial$99.997 Days
  • Family Annual Plan$209.991 Year
14 purchases

TP

Subscriptions14
  • Tapo Care Basic 1 Cam/monthly$2.491 Month
  • Tapo Care Premium 1 Cam/month$3.491 Month
  • Tapo Care Cloud – 1 Camera1 Month trial$3.491 Month
Show 11 more
  • Tapo Care Cloud – 2 Cameras1 Month trial$6.991 Month
  • Tapo Care Premium 2 Cam/month$6.991 Month
  • Tapo Care Basic 5 Cam/month$8.991 Month
  • Tapo Care Premium 3 Cam/month$10.491 Month
  • Tapo Care Premium (Monthly)$11.991 Month
  • Tapo Care Cloud Advanced1 Month trial$11.991 Month
  • Tapo Care Cloud Advanced AI1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Tapo Care Premium 1 Cam/year$34.991 Year
  • Tapo Care Premium 2 Cam/year$69.991 Year
  • Tapo Care Premium 3 Cam/year$104.991 Year
  • Tapo Care Premium (Yearly)$119.991 Year

Questions

Is SwitchBot free?
SwitchBot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TP free?
TP is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SwitchBot or TP?
TP is rated higher. SwitchBot averages 3.4 out of 5 from 835 ratings, while TP averages 4.8 from 21K ratings.
Do SwitchBot or TP have ads?
Neither SwitchBot nor TP shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SwitchBot or TP?
SwitchBot ships an update fortnightly, and TP every 2 weeks. Most recently, SwitchBot was updated on October 13, 2026 and TP on October 14, 2026.

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