Comparison

EMBER Smart Heating Control vs TP

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

TP

Configure and manage your network devices remotely. Monitor network status, manage clients, and change settings from your smartphone or tablet. Supports both standalone device management and centralized control for multiple devices.

Highlights
  • Configure Omada devices
  • Monitor network status
  • Manage clients
  • Standalone mode for individual devices
  • Controller mode for centralized management
  • Local and cloud access
Features
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Omada app is used for configuring and managing your Omada devices. You can change settings, monitor the network status and manage clients, all from the convenience of a smart phone or tablet. STANDALONE MODE Standalone mode is designed for managing EAPs or wireless routers right away without having to spend time configuring a controller. Each device is managed separately. This mode is recommended for networks which only have a few EAPs (or wireless routers) and require only basic functions, such as home network. CONTROLLER MODE Controller mode works together with a software Omada Controller or a hardware Cloud Controller, and is suitable for managing multiple devices (including gateways, switches and EAPs) centrally. Controller mode allows you to configure and automatically synchronize unified settings to the devices in the network. Compared to Standalone Mode, more configuration options are available and supports to manage more devices in Controller mode. You can manage devices in Controller mode in two ways: via Local Access or Cloud Access. In Local Access mode, the Omada app can manage devices when the Controller and your mobile device are in the same subnet; in Cloud Access mode, the Omada app can access the Controller across the internet so you can manage your devices wherever you are. Compatibility List: The controller mode currently supports hardware cloud controllers (OC200 V1, OC300 V1), software Omada Controller v3.0.2 and above. (To experience more features support and more stable services, we recommend that you upgrade your controller to a new version). Standalone Mode currently supports the following models (with latest firmware): EAP245 (EU)/(US) V1 EAP225 (EU)/(US) V3/V2/V1 EAP115 (EU)/(US) V4/V2/V1 EAP110 (EU)/(US) V4/V2/V1 EAP225-Outdoor (EU)/(US) V1 EAP110-Outdoor (EU)/(US) V3/V1 EAP115-Wall (EU) V1 EAP225-Wall (EU) V2 ER706W (EU)/(US) V1/V1.6 ER706W-4G (EU)/(US) V1/V1.6 *The latest firmware is required and can be downloaded from https://www.tp-link.com/omada_compatibility_list. More devices supported by the app are coming!

Screenshots

EMBER Smart Heating Control4 screens
TP4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TP at 4.6 against EMBER Smart Heating Control's 3.4. TP also leads on ratings volume (616 vs 9) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). EMBER Smart Heating Control's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TP holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TP has 616 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of EMBER Smart Heating Control's written reviews are positive against 58% of TP's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EMBER Smart Heating Control ships an update every 2 months, TP every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
EMBER Smart Heating Control versus TP: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEMBER Smart Heating ControlTP
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (9 ratings)4.6 (616 ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.2% of reviews58.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9616 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB149 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEPH Controls LtdTP-Link Systems Inc.

Customer experience

EMBER Smart Heating Control

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

TP

All ratings616 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral2.8%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews320 reviews
Positive58.4%
Neutral10.0%
Negative31.6%

Bugs and requests

EMBER Smart Heating Control

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

TP

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App crashes when accessing local controller
  • Cannot reboot devices from the app
  • Firmware update breaks cloud access
  • Incompatible organization error
  • Wireless client information not displayed
Show 1 more
  • Wireless device signal strength not shown

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add landscape mode support
  • Improve 2FA integration
  • Increase network speed reporting limit
  • More advanced configuration options
  • Persistent user settings and preferences
Show 1 more
  • Provide a 'clear all logs' function

In-app purchases

None

EMBER Smart Heating Control

No in-app purchases

None

TP

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 TP free?
TP is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, EMBER Smart Heating Control or TP?
TP is rated higher. EMBER Smart Heating Control averages 3.4 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while TP averages 4.6 from 616 ratings.
Do EMBER Smart Heating Control or TP have ads?
Neither EMBER Smart Heating Control nor TP shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EMBER Smart Heating Control or TP?
EMBER Smart Heating Control ships an update every 2 months, and TP every 10 days. Most recently, EMBER Smart Heating Control was updated on September 9, 2026 and TP on September 23, 2026.

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