Ember vs SwapCircles
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Precise temperature control
- Save temperature presets
- Beverage recipes and blogs
- Customizable notifications
- Manage multiple mugs
- Personalize mug settings
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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
SwapCircles
Connect with others to exchange clothing and accessories. Discover new styles and declutter your wardrobe by swapping items you no longer need. It's a community-driven approach to fashion that promotes sustainability and unique finds.
- Clothing exchange
- Accessory swapping
- Community connection
- Discover new styles
- Wardrobe decluttering
- Sustainable fashion
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You are invited to try out SwapCircles!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SwapCircles at 5.0 against Ember's 3.3. SwapCircles also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). Ember's advantage is ratings volume (7.5K vs 1). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SwapCircles holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ember has 7.5K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Ember ships an update every 2 months, SwapCircles every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ember | SwapCircles |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (7.5K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7.5K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 63 MB | 62 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Ember Technologies Inc. | Rashmi Prabhu |
Customer experience
Ember
SwapCircles
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
SwapCircles
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Ember
No in-app purchases
SwapCircles
No in-app purchases
