# SmartThings vs Meross

SmartThings and Meross both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 78% of Meross's written reviews are positive against 31% of SmartThings's. Meross also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). SmartThings's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and ratings volume (809K vs 7.8K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Meross sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. SmartThings asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for SmartThings against 4.5 for Meross. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmartThings has 809K ratings behind it against 7.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 31% of SmartThings's written reviews are positive against 78% of Meross's.

SmartThings ships an update monthly, Meross fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartThings | Meross |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (809K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartthings/id1222822904/reviews)** | [4.5 (7.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meross/id1260842951/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **809K** | 7.8K |
| Positive reviews | 31.1% of reviews | **78.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#8** | — |
| Size | 961 MB | 231 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/359580642) | [Chengdu Meross Technology Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1260842710) |

## What reviewers say

### SmartThings

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartthings/id1222822904)

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Free · Lifestyle (US App Store)

Unify and manage all your smart home devices from a single application. Connect hundreds of brands, create custom scenes and routines, and control your home remotely. Monitor energy usage and even get meal planning assistance.

**Highlights:** Connect and control devices from multiple brands, Create custom scenes and routines, Remote home monitoring and control, Automated notifications and status updates, Voice control with Google Assistant, Energy tracking and saving features, Smart cooking and meal planning assistance

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Remote control functionality
- 📚 Laundry cycle recommendations
- 🤖 Automation and scheduling capabilities
- 🔧 Customizable settings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent disconnections and crashes
- ⏱️ Slow and laggy performance
- 🔍 Difficulty connecting and configuring devices
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive user interface
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with location tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to add or remove devices
- Inconsistent device status updates
- Notifications not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to control TV without remote
- Improved photo/artwork management for Frame TV
- More advanced automation and scheduling options
- Better integration with other smart home platforms


### Meross

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meross/id1260842951)

Control and manage a wide range of smart home devices remotely. Set schedules, create custom scenes, and integrate with voice assistants for automated control. Access troubleshooting guides, firmware updates, and community forums for support.

**Highlights:** Remote device control, Custom schedules and scenes, Voice assistant integration, Firmware updates, In-app hardware guides, Consumer forum

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 SMS for a month | $0.99 | per month |
| 优惠测试-月 | $1.99 | per month |
| 优惠测试-年 | $1.99 | per year |
| 优惠测试-周 | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| 30 SMS for a month | $2.49 | per month |
| 100 SMS for a month | $6.99 | per month |
| 30 SMS | $3.49 | one-time |
| 100 SMS | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🚀 Reliable and stable performance
- 💡 Useful features like power consumption monitoring
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 🔌 Seamless integration with smart home platforms

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connectivity issues and device disconnections
- 🔧 Setup can be tricky at times
- 📱 Limited customization options in the app
- 🕰️ Routines and scheduling could be more flexible

**Reported bugs**

- Unreliable garage door status reporting
- Compatibility issues with iOS 16 updates
- Inconsistent device discovery and pairing

**Requested features**

- Add support for more smart home platforms
- Improve app interface and allow for more customization
- Enhance scheduling and automation features
- Provide more detailed energy consumption reporting


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmartThings free?

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

### Is Meross free?

Meross is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SmartThings or Meross?

SmartThings is rated higher. SmartThings averages 4.6 out of 5 from 809K ratings, while Meross averages 4.5 from 7.8K ratings.

### Do SmartThings or Meross have ads?

Neither SmartThings nor Meross shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SmartThings or Meross?

SmartThings ships an update monthly, and Meross fortnightly. Most recently, SmartThings was updated on September 24, 2026 and Meross on September 23, 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.*