Comparison

EMBER Smart Heating Control vs Countdown Bank

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

Countdown Bank

Features
Read full description

Every other countdown app watches your time quietly drain away. Countdown Bank doesn't. Your balance stays frozen — you earn the time that passes as a separate credit you can watch ticking up, then bank it yourself in a satisfying, animated moment. It's a countdown you deposit into, not one that leaks away in the background. Completely free. No ads, no subscriptions, no sign-in — ever. Set a countdown to the moments that matter — a wedding, a holiday, a new job, a retirement — and instead of watching the clock silently tick down, you decide when to bank the time you've earned. A COUNTDOWN THAT WORKS LIKE A BANK ACCOUNT - Your main balance is frozen — it shows exactly how long is left and never drops on its own - Time you've earned since your last visit accrues as a live credit balance, ticking up in real time while the app is open - When you're ready, tap Transfer to bank your credit — and only then does your main balance fall - Checking the app feels like collecting a reward, not a reminder of how long you have to wait A TRANSFER MOMENT MADE TO FEEL GOOD - Watch your balance roll down with a tumbling number animation - Real haptic feedback and a gold glow the instant you bank your time - A "Banked" badge and a small burst of celebration to mark the moment BUILT FOR LIFE'S BIG DATES - Track as many countdowns at once as you like — weddings, holidays, birthdays, job starts, retirements, anything you're counting down to - Choose the credit unit that fits — hours for something imminent, days or weeks for something further out - Drag to reorder your events and keep the one that matters most front and centre PRIVATE BY DESIGN - No account and no sign-in — open the app and go - No ads, no personal data collected, and no cross-app tracking - Your events sync only to your own private iCloud account & we never see them or store them on any server of ours - Anonymous, aggregate usage stats only, so we can improve the app & never tied to you or your device A dark, premium interface with nothing between you and the date you're waiting for. Perfect for anyone with an important date on the horizon who wants a more rewarding relationship with anticipation.

Screenshots

EMBER Smart Heating Control4 screens
Countdown Bank3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: EMBER Smart Heating Control at 3 against Countdown Bank's 1. EMBER Smart Heating Control also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, 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.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
EMBER Smart Heating Control versus Countdown Bank: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEMBER Smart Heating ControlCountdown Bank
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (9 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews52.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings9 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEPH Controls LtdDavid Weatherspoon

In-app purchases

None

EMBER Smart Heating Control

No in-app purchases

None

Countdown Bank

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 Countdown Bank free?
Countdown Bank is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do EMBER Smart Heating Control or Countdown Bank have ads?
Neither EMBER Smart Heating Control nor Countdown Bank shows ads.

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