# Serial Control vs Hear Boost

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hear Boost at 50% against Serial Control's 0%. Serial Control's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hear Boost sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Serial Control asks for nothing beyond the download.

Serial Control ships an update every 5 weeks, Hear Boost every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Serial Control | Hear Boost |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.2 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hear-boost-hearing-aid-and-mic/id1437159134/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **50.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 6 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [StarTech.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/983360067) | [Future Moments](https://appshunter.io/developer/895157892) |

## What reviewers say

### Serial Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/serial-control/id1126359830)

Create custom interfaces for serial devices from your smartphone or tablet. Design control pages with buttons and sliders, build command libraries, and automate actions based on device responses. Seamlessly integrate with StarTech.com serial products.

**Highlights:** Customizable control interfaces, Command library builder, Event-based action automation, Automatic device detection, Integrated account control, HEX and ASCII command editor

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Hear Boost

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hear-boost-hearing-aid-and-mic/id1437159134)

Amplify your hearing and record distant sounds with this app. It allows you to capture conversations and ambient noises at up to 200x your microphone's normal capacity. Features include microphone input selection, voice filtering, and an equalizer for sound adjustment.

**Highlights:** Enhanced hearing and recording, Capture distant conversations, Up to 200x microphone amplification, Selectable microphone input, Voice filter switch, Adjustable equalizer, Background operation

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Trial + Annual | $14.99 | per year |
| 6 Months | $14.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual + Trial | $14.99 | per year |
| Annual + Trial | $19.99 | per year |
| Transcription up to 1 hour | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful app
- 🚀 Great sound quality
- ⭐ Awesome app
- 🎉 Best app ever
- 💻 Works well with headphones

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔒 Privacy concerns
- 💰 Expensive upgrades
- ⏱️ Forced waiting periods
- 🔇 Poor sound quality without upgrades

**Reported bugs**

- Recordings not saving properly
- Equalizer not working as expected
- Constant feedback/distortion
- App freezing/crashing on launch

**Requested features**

- Microphone selection option
- Noise cancellation feature
- Bluetooth speaker support
- Real-time transcription
- Hearing aid integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Serial Control free?

Serial Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hear Boost free?

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

### Do Serial Control or Hear Boost have ads?

Neither Serial Control nor Hear Boost shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Serial Control or Hear Boost?

Serial Control ships an update every 5 weeks, and Hear Boost every 3 weeks. Most recently, Serial Control was updated on November 2, 2026 and Hear Boost on November 6, 2026.

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