# Alarm Relay vs Control4

The clearest difference is update cadence: Control4 at fortnightly against Alarm Relay's every 5 months. Control4 also leads on ratings volume (75 vs 13). Alarm Relay's advantage is review sentiment (67% vs 39%) and iOS requirement (6.1 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Alarm Relay holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Control4 has 75 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Alarm Relay's written reviews are positive against 39% of Control4's.

Alarm Relay ships an update every 5 months, Control4 fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Alarm Relay | Control4 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alarm-relay/id1137021227/reviews)** | [3.5 (75 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/control4/id6618112371/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **75** |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 39.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 40 MB | 258 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.1** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alarm Relay](https://appshunter.io/developer/1137021226) | [Snap One, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/417819127) |

## What reviewers say

### Alarm Relay

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alarm-relay/id1137021227)

Control your entire home security system, cameras, lights, and other connected devices remotely. Receive instant notifications for alarms or system changes, and view live video feeds from your cameras. Requires an existing account with the service.

**Highlights:** Remote arm/disarm of security system, Real-time alarm notifications, Live video streaming from cameras, Control Z-Wave home automation devices, Text and email alerts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Control4

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/control4/id6618112371)

Manage your smart home devices, including lighting, security, and entertainment, from a single, intuitive interface. Customize your home screen and create personalized routines for seamless automation. Integrates with Apple HomeKit for Siri voice control.

**Highlights:** All-in-one home screen control, Customizable favorites and widgets, Personalized routines and scenes, Multiroom entertainment management, Live camera views, Apple HomeKit integration, Smart notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Alarm Relay free?

Alarm Relay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Control4 free?

Control4 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Alarm Relay or Control4?

Alarm Relay is rated higher. Alarm Relay averages 3.7 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Control4 averages 3.5 from 75 ratings.

### Do Alarm Relay or Control4 have ads?

Neither Alarm Relay nor Control4 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Alarm Relay or Control4?

Alarm Relay ships an update every 5 months, and Control4 fortnightly. Most recently, Alarm Relay was updated on November 2, 2026 and Control4 on November 5, 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.*