# SwitchBot vs Reel

The clearest difference is device support: SwitchBot at 4 against Reel's 1. SwitchBot also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SwitchBot sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Reel sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SwitchBot ships an update fortnightly, Reel every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SwitchBot | Reel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.4 (838 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/switchbot/id1087374760/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **838** | — |
| Positive reviews | 32.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 647 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [wonderlabs, Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/1087374759) | [ZEN ARTICLE](https://appshunter.io/developer/6779266560) |

## What reviewers say

### SwitchBot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/switchbot/id1087374760)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| cloud storage-2cams weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| AI Agent Plan | $1.69 | per month |
| Basic Monthly Plan | $3.99 | per month |
| Test | $3.99 | per month |
| Test | $3.99 | per month |
| Starter Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Plus Monthly Plan | $6.99 | per month |
| Home Plan | $8.99 | per month |
| Basic Monthly Plan | $9.99 | per month |
| cloud storage-3cams monthly | $10.99 | per month |
| Home Plus | $13.99 | per month |
| Family Monthly Plan | $20.99 | per month |
| Home Max | $22.99 | per month |
| Basic Annual Plan | $34.99 | per year |
| Starter Plan(Annual) | $49.99 | per year |
| Plus Annual Plan | $69.99 | per year |
| cloud storage-1cam weekly | $99.99 | per 7 days |
| Family Annual Plan | $209.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Reel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reel-lifelog-camera/id6779971048)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reel Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SwitchBot free?

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

### Is Reel free?

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

### Do SwitchBot or Reel have ads?

Neither SwitchBot nor Reel shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SwitchBot or Reel?

SwitchBot ships an update fortnightly, and Reel every 10 days. Most recently, SwitchBot was updated on October 19, 2026 and Reel on October 20, 2026.

---

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