# RouteThis Helps vs First Step Help

The clearest difference is review sentiment: First Step Help at 100% against RouteThis Helps's 18%. First Step Help also leads on rating (3.0 vs 2.0). RouteThis Helps's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (200 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

First Step Help holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RouteThis Helps has 200 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of RouteThis Helps's written reviews are positive against 100% of First Step Help's.

RouteThis Helps ships an update every 3 weeks, First Step Help every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RouteThis Helps | First Step Help |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (200 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/routethis-helps/id1173976362/reviews) | **[3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-step-help/id1478309146/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **200** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 18.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 55 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RouteThis Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1455667117) | [First Step Internet, L.L.C.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1478309145) |

## What reviewers say

### RouteThis Helps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/routethis-helps/id1173976362)

Diagnose network issues affecting smart home devices and internet speed. This app runs tests and shares diagnostic information with technical support to quickly resolve connectivity problems.

**Highlights:** Network tests and diagnostics, Identify internet connectivity problems, Troubleshoot smart home devices, Share diagnostic information with support, Improve home internet experience

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎯 Accurately identifies network issues
- 🚀 Quick and efficient diagnostics
- 📊 Provides actionable recommendations
- 💡 Helps isolate device-specific problems
- 🔧 Useful for tech support collaboration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Privacy concerns - collects data without user visibility
- ❌ Inaccurate or misleading results
- 😕 Confusing user interface and unclear instructions
- 🚫 Requires access code not provided to users
- 📍 Demands location permissions unnecessarily

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during benchmarking network stage
- Unable to proceed without access code
- Crashes on connection testing
- Cannot input access code properly
- App shows issues but no clickable links to view details

**Requested features**

- Display diagnostic results to users before sending to support
- Show detailed network configuration information (router model, channel, encryption)
- Provide specific WiFi channel recommendations
- Allow users to review all collected data prior to submission
- Implement automatic data deletion from support servers after set period


### First Step Help

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-step-help/id1478309146)

This utility app performs various network tests and diagnostics to help troubleshoot internet issues. It allows users to share test results with support agents for faster problem resolution. Additional features include live view sessions and router settings checks.

**Highlights:** Network tests and diagnostics, Share test results with support, Live View sessions, Router settings check, Location data for network analysis

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RouteThis Helps free?

RouteThis Helps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is First Step Help free?

First Step Help is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RouteThis Helps or First Step Help?

First Step Help is rated higher. RouteThis Helps averages 2.0 out of 5 from 200 ratings, while First Step Help averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do RouteThis Helps or First Step Help have ads?

Neither RouteThis Helps nor First Step Help shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RouteThis Helps or First Step Help?

RouteThis Helps ships an update every 3 weeks, and First Step Help every 5 months. Most recently, RouteThis Helps was updated on September 14, 2026 and First Step Help on September 18, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*