Comparison

AUTOMATE PULSE vs The Shade Store V2

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

Head to head
About

AUTOMATE PULSE

Control motorized window shades remotely with an intuitive interface. Visualize shade positions, check battery health, and set custom timers and scenes for automated comfort, whether you're home or away.

Highlights
  • Remote shade control
  • Bi-directional communication
  • Visualize shade positioning
  • Check battery health
  • Create rooms, timers, and scenes
  • Motor limit adjustment
  • Up, down, stop, and position control
Features
Read full description

Automate Pulse is an easy to use interface used to configure and control motorized window shades using the Automate "ARC" radio motor platform. Whether you are at home or away you can accurately control your shades via the animated interface on your smartphone. Bi-directional communication allows you to visualize the exact positioning of your internal and external shades while also allowing you to check the battery health of your wirefree motors. Getting started is simple via the easy to follow setup wizard. Create rooms, set timers & scenes for optimum comfort and allow Automate PULSE to take control. Installers can also take advantage of the convenient remote free setup to efficiently set motor limits with their smart phone. · Requires the ARC Pulse Hub – available from your Rollease Acmeda Automate Motorized Shade Dealer Features: Each Pulse Hub supports up to 30 motorized window treatments · Create up to 20 Rooms, Scenes and timers · Invite up to 4 users per Pulse Hub with full control privileges and their own “Favorites” list. · Administrator account allows system configuration- o Set up, activate and deactivate timers o Create Scenes o Adjust travel limits o Create multiple locations (up to 5) and add Pulse hubs (up to 5) · Control screens provide motor status including- o Operate motors to any position desired § Up, down, stop and move to position control § Animation and end position status provided through 2 way feedback from motors. § Battery health for Wirefree rechargeable motors o Favorite position setting & recall

About

The Shade Store V2

Control your motorized shades, blinds, and drapery remotely. Set custom positions, schedule timers for natural light, and group treatments by room or individually. Requires a wireless link accessory.

Highlights
  • Motorized shade, blind, and drapery control
  • Set up to 30 shade configurations
  • Schedule automatic timers
  • Control shades individually or in groups
  • Remote control from anywhere
Features
Read full description

Personalize your motorized Shades, Blinds and Drapery for the way you live: Synchronize multiple products, set your favorite positions and schedule timers from your iPhone and iPad. Important note: App must be used with The Shade Store Wireless Link, available to purchase at https://www.theshadestore.com/collections/motorized-window-treatments KEY FEATURES: - Compatible with motorized Shades, Blinds and Drapery by The Shade Store - Up to 30 configurations for Shades: Set your own, group by room or select from various preset heights - Schedule automatic timers to manage natural light throughout the day - Position Shades individually or in groups - Not at home? No problem. The Shade Store App lets you control your window treatments no matter where you are.

Screenshots

AUTOMATE PULSE4 screens
The Shade Store V24 screens

Verdict

The call

AUTOMATE PULSE and The Shade Store V2 both sit at 2.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 31% of AUTOMATE PULSE's written reviews are positive against 15% of The Shade Store V2's. AUTOMATE PULSE also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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

AUTOMATE PULSE holds the better App Store score, 2.6 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 48 and 18 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of AUTOMATE PULSE's written reviews are positive against 15% of The Shade Store V2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AUTOMATE PULSE ships an update every 3 months, The Shade Store V2 every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
AUTOMATE PULSE versus The Shade Store V2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAUTOMATE PULSEThe Shade Store V2
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (48 ratings) — better2.4 (18 ratings)
Positive reviews30.6% of reviews — better14.8% of reviews
Number of ratings48 — better18
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB130 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperROLLEASE ACMEDAThe Shade Store, LLC.

Customer experience

AUTOMATE PULSE

All ratings44 ratings
Positive38.6%
Neutral11.4%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive30.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative55.1%

The Shade Store V2

Written reviews115 reviews
Positive14.8%
Neutral6.1%
Negative79.1%

User reviews

AUTOMATE PULSE

From 48 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Good app functionality (when working)
  • 📞 Excellent and responsive tech support (George mentioned multiple times)
  • 💡 Integrates with Alexa (when working)
  • 💡 Integrates with Apple HomeKit (mentioned by one user)
  • 🖼️ Real-life curtain picture on app (Automate Pulse)

Room to improve

  • ❌ Hub stopped working/refuses to connect
  • ❌ App suddenly stopped working
  • ❌ App not maintained/abandoned
  • ❌ Cannot add locations
  • ❌ Horrible support/company won't respond

The Shade Store V2

From 18 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✅ Shades themselves are high quality and beautiful
  • 🏠 HomeKit integration works well (when functional)
  • 🎯 Easy to set up scenes and timers (once connected)
  • 🔊 Voice control with Alexa/Google Home works
  • ⚡ Improved performance with newer hub versions

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App frequently deletes all devices and settings
  • 🔌 Hub connectivity is extremely unreliable
  • 📡 Poor WiFi range, requires hub in each room
  • 🔗 Incompatible with dual-band routers without workarounds
  • 😤 Setup process is unnecessarily complex and fragile

Bugs and requests

AUTOMATE PULSE

Reported bugs

21 issues
  • Hub stopped working
  • App not connecting to WiFi
  • App not working for no reason
  • Cannot add location
  • App not compatible with hub
Show 16 more
  • Settings not stored
  • Lost Rooms and Scenes after iOS update
  • Stopped working with Alexa
  • App randomly wiped everything
  • Automated timings lose settings
  • App crashes frequently
  • Devices not responding
  • Alexa not finding devices
  • Devices paired change when app reopened
  • Requires re-pairing devices
  • "Time out" errors
  • "Log in failed" errors
  • App hangs
  • Timer function unreliable
  • Amazon Echo not recognizing scenes
  • Timer loses settings for selected days

Requested features

12 requests
  • Add tablet support
  • Add widget support for quick scene access
  • Add sunrise/sunset timers
  • Add HomeKit integration
  • Add Alexa support (for some users)
Show 7 more
  • Allow reordering of scenes/timers
  • Allow grouping scenes/timers in folders
  • Sync settings online to avoid redoing
  • Add sunrise/sunset function in timer module
  • Add IFTTT integration
  • Update software for iPad rotation
  • Add HomeKit and/or Alexa support

The Shade Store V2

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • App loses all saved devices after hub unplugging
  • Shades randomly disappear from app
  • Hub won't reconnect after power outages
  • Firmware requires frequent soft resets
  • App stuck in endless pairing loop
Show 10 more
  • HomeKit status doesn't update properly
  • Scenes and timers randomly deleted
  • Hub offline despite blue light indicator
  • Shades fail to pair consistently
  • Battery status shows 'low battery' incorrectly
  • App crashes during setup at timezone selection
  • Devices unpairing after being added
  • Hub connection drops after iOS updates
  • Grouped shades stop responding together
  • App won't connect to hub despite HomeKit recognition

Requested features

10 requests
  • Battery percentage display in app
  • Sunrise/sunset timer functionality
  • Labeled buttons during setup process
  • Display upcoming timer activation times
  • Correct sunrise/sunset time calculations
Show 5 more
  • Ethernet pairing support
  • Better documentation and troubleshooting guides
  • Dual-band router compatibility without workarounds
  • Persistent device storage after power outages
  • Improved signal strength and range

In-app purchases

None

AUTOMATE PULSE

No in-app purchases

None

The Shade Store V2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AUTOMATE PULSE free?
AUTOMATE PULSE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Shade Store V2 free?
The Shade Store V2 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, AUTOMATE PULSE or The Shade Store V2?
AUTOMATE PULSE is rated higher. AUTOMATE PULSE averages 2.6 out of 5 from 48 ratings, while The Shade Store V2 averages 2.4 from 18 ratings.
Do AUTOMATE PULSE or The Shade Store V2 have ads?
Neither AUTOMATE PULSE nor The Shade Store V2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AUTOMATE PULSE or The Shade Store V2?
AUTOMATE PULSE ships an update every 3 months, and The Shade Store V2 every 5 months. Most recently, AUTOMATE PULSE was updated on November 2, 2026 and The Shade Store V2 on November 6, 2026.

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