Comparison

Activate Home vs Updater

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

Head to head
About

Activate Home

Manage your building's access, communications, and services from your phone. Receive alerts for packages, reserve amenities, and connect with your property team and neighbors.

Highlights
  • Building access control
  • Visitor registration
  • Service request management
  • Amenity reservations
  • Package arrival notifications
  • Resident communication
  • Digital building key
Features
Read full description

Stay connected to everything happening in your building and the people within it. From building access, to communications from your property team, or package arrival alerts, it’s all at your fingertips with the Activate Home app. Download the app to: -Register visitors -Submit and manage service requests -Reserve amenities -Get notifications for package arrivals -Communicate with management and fellow residents -See upcoming events in your building -Give feedback through polls -Use your phone as a digital key to access the building -And so much more! *Note: features vary by building.

About

Updater

This app streamlines the moving process by offering a centralized platform for essential tasks. It helps users forward mail, set up utilities, compare internet plans, secure insurance, find movers, and purchase packing supplies. Moving checklists and tips are also provided to reduce stress and save time.

Highlights
  • Forward mail and update addresses
  • Compare and set up TV/internet
  • Connect utility services
  • Secure insurance
  • Find and book movers
  • Purchase moving supplies
  • Moving checklists and tips
Features
Read full description

Thousands of real estate companies — like your new apartment community, real estate agent, or moving company — partner with Updater to help you organize and complete your move. We know how stressful moving can be, so we provide end-to-end moving support to help you save time, money, and get settled into your new home. With Updater, you can quickly and easily: Forward your mail One central place to update your address, voter registration, and all other important household accounts. Significantly faster than the traditional USPS process. Discover, compare, and purchase TV and internet Compare internet plans, speeds, and prices from the top providers at your new home. Learn what’s popular and purchase TV and internet services from the nation’s most trusted providers. Set up utilities Quickly connect or transfer utility services (water, gas, and electric) in your new home to avoid delays or outages. Secure renters/homeowners insurance Transfer an existing policy or set up a new policy that meets your coverage requirements. Find and book movers Whether you need help moving just a few items or your entire home, we've got you covered. Book same-day moving help, a full-service moving company, or anything in between. Purchase boxes and packaging supplies Get affordable, high quality boxes and packing supplies delivered right to your door. Bonus: moving checklists & tips We’ve seen it all, so we have lots of helpful advice to share. Keep your move organized and stress-free with our handy checklists and guides. About Updater Updater is an app to help you conquer your move. We take care of the heavy lifting so you can focus on all the things you’ve been daydreaming about — like finding your new local spots and making memories in your new home. Let’s be real — moving may never be perfect, but it’s way easier with Updater.

Screenshots

Activate Home4 screens
Updater4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Updater at 4.9 against Activate Home's 4.0. Updater also leads on review sentiment (48% vs 30%) and ratings volume (6.9K vs 413). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Updater holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Updater has 6.9K ratings behind it against 413, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Activate Home's written reviews are positive against 48% of Updater's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Activate Home ships an update monthly, Updater every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Activate Home versus Updater: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterActivate HomeUpdater
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (413 ratings)4.9 (6.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews29.8% of reviews48.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4136.9K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size261 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRise Buildings, LLCUpdater Incorporated

Customer experience

Activate Home

All ratings413 ratings
Positive74.3%
Neutral6.3%
Negative19.4%
Written reviews47 reviews
Positive29.8%
Neutral4.3%
Negative66.0%

Updater

All ratings4,928 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral0.5%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews128 reviews
Positive48.4%
Neutral0.8%
Negative50.8%

User reviews

Activate Home

From 413 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Work orders are easy to create
  • 👍 Support team responsive
  • 👍 Secure and thorough entry system
  • 👍 Efficient for property management
  • 👍 User-friendly navigation for residents

Room to improve

  • 🐌 App takes forever to open
  • 🐌 App is slow to load
  • 🐌 Mobile key unreliable
  • 🐌 Access only works in certain spots
  • 🐌 UI is terrible/clumsy

Updater

From 6.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Convenient and easy to use
  • 🚀 Streamlines the moving process
  • 💡 Helpful checklist and reminders

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app
  • 🤖 Pushy and aggressive sales tactics
  • 🤔 Inaccurate information and service availability
  • 🔒 Privacy and security concerns
  • 💰 Overpriced services compared to direct providers

Bugs and requests

Activate Home

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • Mobile key not working
  • “No response met from Salto SVN” error
  • Visitors disappearing
  • Packages checked out/in disappearing
  • “General error” when opening
Show 12 more
  • “No door found” error on elevators
  • App crashes on launch
  • Cannot login
  • Error when password submitted
  • Reset password link trackers not working
  • App does not open on iOS 13
  • Clicking edit on visitor profile doesn't work
  • Cannot log out
  • Incorrect apartment number on profile
  • App crashes during registration
  • App freezing or having other bugs
  • Red bubble notification remains after checking

Requested features

8 requests
  • Add phone key to Apple Wallet
  • Improve offline functionality for app launch/key access
  • Add a hard fob solution for non-smartphone users
  • Implement a buzz-in feature for visitors/deliveries
  • Allow users to see other's elevator reservations
Show 3 more
  • Allow users to stay signed in
  • Improve back button navigation in community posts
  • More reports for property managers

Updater

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent login issues and app crashes
  • Incorrect address and service information
  • Inability to complete tasks and set up services

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to cancel or modify services easily
  • Better integration with existing utility providers
  • More transparent and flexible pricing options

In-app purchases

None

Activate Home

No in-app purchases

None

Updater

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Activate Home free?
Activate Home is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Updater free?
Updater is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Activate Home or Updater?
Updater is rated higher. Activate Home averages 4.0 out of 5 from 413 ratings, while Updater averages 4.9 from 6.9K ratings.
Do Activate Home or Updater have ads?
Neither Activate Home nor Updater shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Activate Home or Updater?
Activate Home ships an update monthly, and Updater every 2 weeks. Most recently, Activate Home was updated on November 2, 2026 and Updater on November 3, 2026.

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