IQbuds vs apiALARM
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
IQbuds
Customize your intelligent wireless earbuds to enhance your hearing experience. Personalize sound profiles, control ambient noise, and focus on specific sounds for clearer conversations and immersive audio.
- Ear ID hearing assessment and personalization
- Focus on directional sounds
- World Blend ambient noise control
- SINC for clearer conversations
- IQstream TV audio control
- Music and call streaming
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Unlock the power to hear with IQbuds from Nuheara. The IQbuds companion app unlocks the powerful customization features available in our award winning IQbuds, IQbuds BOOST and IQbuds2 MAX. IQbuds - INTELLIGENT WIRELESS EARBUDS WITH SINC WORLD CONTROL IQbuds are intelligent true wireless ear buds that enable you to stream music, answer phone calls and control how you hear the world around you. IQbuds BOOST – INTELLIGENT WIRELESS HEARING BUDS WITH EAR ID AUDIOMETRIC PERSONALIZATION IQbuds BOOST is a revolution for personalized assistive listening devices. Built with all the great features of our award-winning IQbuds; we’ve added the innovative Ear ID personalization system, a clinically backed audiometric hearing assessment that calibrates the IQbuds to your unique hearing profile. IQbuds2 MAX – THE WORLDS MOST ADVANCED HEARING BUD IQbuds2 MAX with Active Noise Cancellation and Ear ID Personalization are the worlds most advanced hearing buds. IQbuds2 MAX combines features comparable to high end noise cancellation headsets with customized sound controls personalized to your hearing profile so you can hear the world your way. IQstream TV - The Nuheara App supports IQstream TV. Use BOOST or MAX with IQstream TV to control your own TV audio feed; where you can blend TV volume and the people around you, all in high fidelity sound. EAR ID - Transform Your Hearing in 3 Easy Steps (IQbuds BOOST and MAX feature only) From the comfort of your home and in less than 10 minutes, Ear ID allows you to assess your own hearing and then automatically calibrates the earbuds to your own personal hearing profile. Assess - Download the Nuheara IQbuds App and complete the Ear ID, in app hearing test. Personalize - Ear ID will personalize your IQbuds automatically, using Audiological industry standard algorithms. Hear - Hear your world better instantly, and re-calibrate as often as you like without visiting a hearing clinic. FOCUS - Directional Hearing (IQbuds BOOST and MAX feature only) Focus uses audio beam forming technology to isolate and enhance sounds directly in front of you. WORLD BLEND and SINC - Blend the perfect amount of Ambient noise with the world control feature; While SINC helps you to hear conversations better by turning down noise in a noisy environment. NOTE: the app requires a compatible IQbuds, IQbuds BOOST or IQbuds2 MAX ear buds to work with it. This app is compatible with IQstream TV. See www.nuheara.com for more information on how to purchase.
apiALARM
Manage your home or business security, locks, lights, and video cameras from a single application. Receive intelligent alerts, view live video feeds, and automate daily routines for comprehensive protection against crime, fire, and environmental hazards.
- Remote property control
- Intelligent alerts & live video
- Automate security routines
- Control locks and lights
- Two-way audio via doorbell camera
- Manage multiple business locations
- Respond to alarm events
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Keep your home or business connected, protected and one step ahead with a.p.i. ALARM'S mobile app. Connect your security, locks, lights, video cameras and more through a single app that protects you from crime, fire, carbon monoxide and even water damage. One app for your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch makes it easy to: * Remotely control your entire property * Know what’s going on with intelligent alerts and live video feeds * Automate your daily security routine and other repetitive tasks apiALARM is fully supported on your Apple Watch. So, accessing your system is as easy as checking the time. Note: apiALARM requires a compatible system and an interactive a.p.i. ALARM service plan. Feature availability varies based on system, equipment and specific service plan. Visit apialarm.com for more information. Some of apiALARM’s Home Features: * Control your security panel, locks and lights from anywhere * Receive customizable alerts when people arrive and leave or when there’s unexpected activity * Watch live and recorded video from your cameras * Talk to visitors through your doorbell camera and unlock your door Some of apiALARM’s Business Features: * Arm/disarm your security panel across multiple locations * Receive alerts if a location opens late or an employee access a restricted area * Video alerts based on specific types of activity * Automate lights, locks and thermostats * Track and manage access to multiple locations * Buzz open access controlled doors * Respond to alarm events and alert emergency personnel
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: apiALARM at 4.7 against IQbuds's 3.1. apiALARM also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). IQbuds's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 28%) and ratings volume (55 vs 15). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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.
apiALARM holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 55 and 15 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of IQbuds's written reviews are positive against 28% of apiALARM's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
IQbuds ships an update every 3 months, apiALARM every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | IQbuds | apiALARM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (55 ratings) | 4.7 (15 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better | 27.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 55 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 197 MB | 375 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Nuheara Limited | a.p.i. ALARM Inc. |
Customer experience
IQbuds
apiALARM
Bugs and requests
IQbuds
Reported bugs
10 issues- Double tap and long tap not responding
- App cancels Ear ID process if interrupted
- Ear ID disappears after logging out
- Profile selection not always switching
- Firmware updates cause issues
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- Earbuds cycle through modes randomly
- Battery level fluctuates randomly
- App gets stuck on setup screen
- Bluetooth connection drops frequently
- App shows earbuds as disconnected when they are connected
Requested features
10 requests- Add customizable EQ settings
- Implement a factory reset function
- Develop an Apple Watch version
- Add information on replacement tips
- Improve video tutorials with clearer audio or text
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- Add a dark mode option
- Allow adjustment of volume without the phone
- Add more advanced music EQ options
- Increase the number of custom presets
- Add a way to delay earbuds turning on
apiALARM
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
IQbuds
No in-app purchases
apiALARM
No in-app purchases









