Comparison

EMBER Smart Heating Control vs Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace

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

Head to head
About

EMBER Smart Heating Control

Control multiple heating systems, including radiators and underfloor heating, from your smartphone. Manage multiple zones and homes with intuitive navigation and advanced features like grouping and setback modes.

Highlights
  • Control 4 heating system types
  • Manage multiple zones and homes
  • Zone grouping for simultaneous control
  • Setback mode for energy saving
  • Quick Boost temperature setting
  • Eco Monitor for usage tracking
  • Improved setup and user management
Features
Read full description

One App, Four Systems! EMBER Smart Heating Control has been updated to control a new range of EPH Controls products with the EMBER logo including the smart Radiator System RS and smart Underfloor System US. Ask your installer for EPH EMBER today. With improved and intuitive navigation you will have easier access to your homes heating system and improved control of multiple zones and multiple homes from the palm of your hand. EMBER Smart Heating can control 4 types of heating systems: EMBER PS – Programmer System. Version 1: This system is comprised of our wireless enabled R-Series programmers, thermostats using the GW01 gateway Version 2: This system is comprised of our wireless enabled R-Series version 2 programmers and thermostats using the GW04 gateway. EMBER RS – Radiator System. This system is comprised of our new RF16 controller, eTRV and eTRV-HW using the GW04 gateway. EMBER TS – Thermostat System. Version 1: This system is comprised of our WiFi ready CP4-OT and CP4-HW-OT thermostats using the GW03 gateway. Version 2: This system is comprised of our version 2 WiFi ready CP4v2, CP4D and CP4-HW thermostats using the GW04 gateway EMBER US –Underfloor System. This system is comprised of our new Underfloor heating controller UFH10-RF and thermostats using the GW04 gateway. New Features Grouping It is now possible to group zones to allow control of multiple areas at once, the user can set up to 10 groups and add their zones to these groups for easier control of the whole house. Setback (PS and US only) It is possible to set a heating zone to operate in a setback mode. This will allow the user to set a value from 1-10°C. When the system is timed off it will turn the temperature down by this value and activate if it falls below the lower level. Quick Boost It is now possible to set the Quick Boost temperature for heating zones with an expanded range. Eco Monitor The Eco monitor is now available on the TS and all version 2 products in the EMBER range. It can be activated in the Home Info section of the menu. It will show temperature logs for each zone and overall usage of the system in hours. Advance Function (PS and US only) Advance function can now be activated from the Zone Control screen. Improved Setup process For enhanced security and convenience, this version allows the installer to set up a customer home with their own credentials. When the home owner logs in, the installer will be removed from the home and the home owner will be assigned Super Admin status. Upgraded User Management The user management function has been improved with an extra security layer and more detailed user information. Schedule Overview A complete overview of your programming schedule is now available on the Schedule screen

About

Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace

Control your Whalen Electric Fireplace remotely via Bluetooth. Adjust temperature, brightness, and set timers directly from your smartphone or tablet.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth connectivity
  • Remote on/off control
  • Thermostat adjustment (62-82°F / 17-27°C)
  • Temperature unit selection (°F/°C)
  • Adjustable ember and flame brightness
  • Timer function
Features
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Easily connect your Whalen Electric Fireplace to your smart phone or tablet via Bluetooth. Control all aspects of your fireplace from your smart phone or tablet. Your Whalen Fireplace app allows you to: - Turn the fireplace on or off - Set the thermostat from 62-82°F or 17-27°C - Change temperature unit to °F or °C - Adjust ember bed brightness L1 to L4 - Adjust flame brightness L1 to F4 - Set timer function

Screenshots

EMBER Smart Heating Control4 screens
Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: EMBER Smart Heating Control at every 2 months against Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace's every 7 months. EMBER Smart Heating Control also leads on review sentiment (52% vs 43%). Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

EMBER Smart Heating Control holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 14 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of EMBER Smart Heating Control's written reviews are positive against 43% of Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EMBER Smart Heating Control ships an update every 2 months, Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
EMBER Smart Heating Control versus Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEMBER Smart Heating ControlWhalen Bluetooth Fireplace
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (9 ratings) — better3.3 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews52.2% of reviews — better42.9% of reviews
Number of ratings914 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEPH Controls LtdWhalen LLC

Customer experience

EMBER Smart Heating Control

All ratings9 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews69 reviews
Positive52.2%
Neutral8.7%
Negative39.1%

Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace

All ratings13 ratings
Positive46.2%
Neutral23.1%
Negative30.8%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative42.9%

In-app purchases

None

EMBER Smart Heating Control

No in-app purchases

None

Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is EMBER Smart Heating Control free?
EMBER Smart Heating Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace free?
Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, EMBER Smart Heating Control or Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace?
EMBER Smart Heating Control is rated higher. EMBER Smart Heating Control averages 3.4 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace averages 3.3 from 14 ratings.
Do EMBER Smart Heating Control or Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace have ads?
Neither EMBER Smart Heating Control nor Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EMBER Smart Heating Control or Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace?
EMBER Smart Heating Control ships an update every 2 months, and Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace every 7 months. Most recently, EMBER Smart Heating Control was updated on November 6, 2026 and Whalen Bluetooth Fireplace on November 2, 2026.

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