Comparison

Alert 2020 vs HB42

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

Head to head
About

Alert 2020

Features
Read full description

Simple, secure and robust major-incident management for shopping and retail centres. Shop Alert is widely recognised as a generic term within the UK shopping centre sector and remains the major incident-management system of choice for many centres and arenas nationwide, equipping them with the ability to communicate instantly with retail units. It is a simple, speedy, secure and powerful system. Huge challenges continue to face owners and managers of crowded places in coordinating their resources in the event of major incidents such as a bomb or firearms-related terrorist attacks, as have been experienced all too often in recent years. It is the efficient way to communicate with centre-staff and tenants. Invaluable in a major incident but also day-to-day within seconds you can receive notifications about lost children, shop lifters, counterfeit money circulating, upcoming events, recycling targets, inspections, audits, information and even the odd fun interaction.

About

HB42

Features
Read full description

The HB42 App is the brand new way of quickly and securely placing your orders with Hilton Banks. Once registered, you can browse our product listings or search for products by product code, by description or by scanning a barcode with your device’s camera. Quickly and easily browse our stocklist availability, place orders and receive special promotions and discounts, all from your smartphone or tablet. How can the HB42 & Partners App benefit you? β€’ Completely free to install and use. β€’ Fast order entry saving time and money β€’ Promotions and discounts are highlighted How does HB42 App work? Register and process orders in 5 Easy Steps using the HB42 App: 1. Open the App on your smartphone 2. Browse our product range or search by product code, name or barcode image 3. Check our stocklist pricing 4. Place your order, then click and submit (partial orders can also be saved in the cloud to finish at a later date, on any compatible device) 5. Your order will be quickly processed and goods dispatched in line with our usual delivery terms. Click Install - to start downloading the free App from the App Store and start saving time and money when ordering from Hilton Banks.

Screenshots

Alert 20202 screens
HB424 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: HB42 at every 2 months against Alert 2020's every 5 months. Alert 2020's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Alert 2020 ships an update every 5 months, HB42 every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Alert 2020 versus HB42: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAlert 2020HB42
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 β€” better13.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size24 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlert Innovation LtdAdventoris Limited

In-app purchases

None

Alert 2020

No in-app purchases

None

HB42

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Alert 2020 free?
Alert 2020 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HB42 free?
HB42 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Alert 2020 or HB42 have ads?
Neither Alert 2020 nor HB42 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Alert 2020 or HB42?
Alert 2020 ships an update every 5 months, and HB42 every 2 months. Most recently, Alert 2020 was updated on October 26, 2026 and HB42 on October 27, 2026.

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