Comparison

IoT vs PiFi

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

Head to head
About

IoT

Control and monitor devices using the MQTT protocol. Ideal for DIY projects, it supports various hardware and programming languages. Send push notifications and debug your IoT devices with ease.

Highlights
  • MQTT protocol support
  • Device management
  • Push notifications
  • Event logging
  • Data statistics
  • End-user mode
  • Connection wizard
Features
Read full description

You can manage everything supported MQTT protocol. Any devices (ESP8266, Arduino, Raspberi Pi) and any other supported. C, C++, NodeJS, python and other - any client with MQTT support. Ideally for DIY. Telegram Chat https://t.me/joinchat/HQ-cJxWQ7qiIFlUbpvCXKg ESP8266 & ESP32 Firmware https://github.com/DmitryBorisenko33/esp32-esp8266_iot-manager_modules_firmware/releases https://github.com/DmitryBorisenko33/esp32-esp8266_iot-manager_modules_firmware/wiki/Flash-instruction Heroku demo source: https://github.com/4refr0nt/iotmanager-heroku and demo site: https://iotmanager-demo.herokuapp.com Docs: see Widgets Collection Widgets: toggle, range, badge, power-button, fillgauge, display-value, simple-btn, anydata, steel Easy way to send PUSH notifications from any devices to your smartphone or tablet. Connection wizard help you for Quick Start. Detailed event log for easy IoT devices debugging. Use Statistics for optimize data exchange. End-user mode for non-DIY users. This app from esp8266.ru admin (ESPlorer and luatool developer) Quick Start Guide (English) http://esp8266.ru/iotmanager/ Support (English) http://www.esp8266.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=5953

About

PiFi

Read full description

No need for terminal, SSH or even LuCI. PiFi has all of pro features you love from OpenWrt, reimagined to be more capable, more simple and even more fun. So things like blocking trackers and ads, connecting or switching VPN profiles and accessing your network-stored documents, photos or videos are now just a tap away on iPhone and iPad. NETWORK SETTINGS - Customize network settings, setup a travel router, and more with just a few taps WIREGUARD & OPENVPN CLIENT - Easily upload and manage multiple VPN profiles directly from your iPhone or iPad. Create a VPN network for ALL your devices in seconds ADGUARD HOME - Access AdGuard Home software for network-wide ad and tracking blocking NETWORK STORAGE - Easily expand your network storage capacity (USB storage, SSD, or SD Card) and access your files from anywhere on the network ** COMPATIBILITY NOTICE This app WILL ONLY work if your Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 has been flashed with PiFi firmware, either downloaded from the PiFi website or through a pre-configured SD Card. Standard OpenWrt builds that are not optimised for PiFi are not compatible with this app. For full compatibility details, see pifi.org TRADEMARK NOTICE Raspberry Pi is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Ltd, AdGuard and AdGuard Home are trademarks of Adguard Software Ltd, WireGuard is a registered trademark of Jason A. Donenfeld, OpenWrt is a trademark owned by Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC). All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. PiFi firmware, software, and accessories are developed by PiFi Ltd, an independent project.

Screenshots

IoT4 screens
PiFi4 screens

Verdict

The call

IoT and PiFi are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IoT ships an update every 3 months, PiFi every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
IoT versus PiFi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIoTPiFi
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB93 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVictor BrutskiyPiFi Ltd

In-app purchases

None

IoT

No in-app purchases

None

PiFi

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is IoT free?
IoT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PiFi free?
PiFi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do IoT or PiFi have ads?
Neither IoT nor PiFi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IoT or PiFi?
IoT ships an update every 3 months, and PiFi every 6 weeks. Most recently, IoT was updated on October 15, 2026 and PiFi on October 5, 2026.

Other comparisons