Comparison

Ember vs LARQ

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

Head to head
About

Ember

This app allows you to precisely control the temperature of your hot beverages using a smart mug. Customize presets, receive notifications when your drink reaches the perfect temperature, and explore recipes. Personalize your mug settings for an enhanced drinking experience.

Highlights
  • Precise temperature control
  • Save temperature presets
  • Beverage recipes and blogs
  • Customizable notifications
  • Manage multiple mugs
  • Personalize mug settings
Features
Read full description

At Ember®, we use temperature control to change the world in ordinary (and extraordinary) ways. With an Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug and the Ember app, you can transform your mornings by making hot beverages set to your chosen temperature an everyday reality. Our redesigned Ember app is simple, easy to use, and customizable. Whether you are a first-time user or a long-time customer, get ready for a whole new temperature control experience. The Ember app seamlessly pairs with your Ember products to precisely adjust your favorite hot drinks to your preferred drinking temperature, saves temperature presets, offers recipes, sends notifications when your desired drinking temperature has been reached, and more. Ember App Features: - Control the temperature of your beverage down to the degree - Use your previous temperature setting for a set-it-and-forget-it beverage experience - Manage unlimited paired mugs on an all-new Ember home screen - Find recipes and blogs you can save and share with friends and family in the new Explore section - Receive notifications when your preferred temperature has been reached, or your battery is low - Customize presets for multiple beverages and engage timers - Personalize your mugs with names and adjust the color of the smart LED - Easily switch between °C/°F and control sounds and haptic feedback in the redesigned Account section - Access Ember x Health with Apple Health

About

LARQ

Manage your smart water pitcher and track your hydration. Monitor filter life, view water consumption data, and remotely control purification features. Receive important software updates to enhance your experience.

Highlights
  • Track filter life
  • Monitor water consumption
  • Activate purification remotely
  • Customize pitcher settings
  • Receive software updates
Features
Read full description

The LARQ App is your personal control center to manage your LARQ Pitcher PureVis. By syncing with the LARQ Pitcher PureVis, you can: • Track remaining LARQ Filter life so you know when to replace your Filter • Review daily household water consumption per week by tracking the volume of water filtered by the LARQ Pitcher PureVis • Remotely activate PureVis feature and customize other settings • Receive software updates

Screenshots

Ember4 screens
LARQ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: LARQ at 4.3 against Ember's 3.3. LARQ also leads on review sentiment (54% vs 18%). Ember's advantage is ratings volume (7.5K vs 621). On price, update cadence, 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LARQ holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ember has 7.5K ratings behind it against 621, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Ember's written reviews are positive against 54% of LARQ's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ember ships an update every 2 months, LARQ monthly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Ember versus LARQ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmberLARQ
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (7.5K ratings)4.3 (621 ratings) — better
Positive reviews17.6% of reviews53.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7.5K — better621
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB158 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEmber Technologies Inc.LARQ

Customer experience

Ember

All ratings7,459 ratings
Positive54.5%
Neutral4.8%
Negative40.7%
Written reviews1,333 reviews
Positive17.6%
Neutral8.4%
Negative74.0%

LARQ

All ratings610 ratings
Positive80.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative15.1%
Written reviews457 reviews
Positive53.6%
Neutral12.5%
Negative33.9%

User reviews

Ember

From 7.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Keeps drink at perfect temperature
  • 🍵 Great for tea and coffee drinkers
  • 🎨 Customizable LED light colors
  • 🔋 Decent battery life when used properly
  • 🤖 Apple Watch app integration

Room to improve

  • 🔌 Requires frequent charging and docking
  • 🔒 Forced account creation and login
  • 🔄 Unreliable Bluetooth connectivity
  • 🐛 Buggy app with frequent issues
  • 🤔 Confusing app UI and controls

LARQ

From 621 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great water bottle
  • 👍 Excellent water filtration
  • 🔋 Long battery life
  • 💡 Useful app features
  • 🔒 Reliable self-cleaning

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent water tracking
  • 🔋 Battery drain issues
  • 🔒 Connectivity problems
  • 💡 Lack of widgets and Apple Watch support

Bugs and requests

Ember

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App frequently logs users out
  • Mug disconnects from app randomly
  • Firmware update process often fails
  • App doesn't always detect liquid in mug
  • Presets and settings get lost after updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Battery level indicator on main screen
  • Improved Apple Watch app functionality
  • Wireless charging option
  • Ability to lock temperature settings
  • Automatic temperature adjustment based on volume

LARQ

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App fails to register water consumption
  • Frequent disconnections between bottle and app
  • Filter life indicator not working properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add widgets for home screen and Apple Watch
  • Improve water intake tracking accuracy
  • Provide more customization options
  • Implement push notifications for hydration reminders

In-app purchases

None

Ember

No in-app purchases

None

LARQ

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ember free?
Ember is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LARQ free?
LARQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ember or LARQ?
LARQ is rated higher. Ember averages 3.3 out of 5 from 7.5K ratings, while LARQ averages 4.3 from 621 ratings.
Do Ember or LARQ have ads?
Neither Ember nor LARQ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ember or LARQ?
Ember ships an update every 2 months, and LARQ monthly. Most recently, Ember was updated on November 3, 2026 and LARQ on November 3, 2026.

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