CE Smart vs apiALARM
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CE Smart
Control your smart home devices remotely from anywhere. Manage multiple devices, set schedules, and automate your home with voice commands. Easily share control with family members for a connected living experience.
- Remote device control
- Simultaneous multi-device management
- Voice control integration
- Automated scheduling and timers
- Device sharing with family
- Easy device setup
- Custom automations and scenes
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CE Smart, CE Smart Home, Smart Living, Wi-Fi Connected Devices, Remote Control 1. Remote Control: Turn devices on/off from anywhere in the world with the mobile app 2. Simultaneous Control: Add, Configure, Monitor and Control multiple devices with one app 3. Voice Control: Works with Amazon Alexa, the Google Assistant and Siri Shortcuts 4. Timer: Create schedules to automate turning lights and appliances on and off 5. Device Sharing: Easily share device control among family members 6. Easy Set-up: Quickly connect and set-up devices using the app 7. Automations and Scenes: Advanced scheduling and grouping features
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 ratings volume: CE Smart at 2.3K against apiALARM's 15. CE Smart also leads on review sentiment (41% vs 31%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for CE Smart against 4.7 for apiALARM. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CE Smart has 2.3K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of CE Smart's written reviews are positive against 31% of apiALARM's.
CE Smart ships an update every 4 months, apiALARM every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CE Smart | apiALARM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (2.3K ratings) — better | 4.7 (15 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 40.7% of reviews — better | 30.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.3K — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 196 MB | 375 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Charging Essentials | a.p.i. ALARM Inc. |
Customer experience
CE Smart
apiALARM
Bugs and requests
CE Smart
Reported bugs
5 issues- Widgets not working after iOS updates
- Unable to change device names or locations
- Alexa integration not functioning properly
- Scheduled timers and automations not reliable
- App freezing and becoming unresponsive
Requested features
5 requests- Export energy usage data
- Improved widget functionality
- Apple Watch app support
- Backup and restore device settings
- Seamless integration with smart home ecosystems
apiALARM
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
CE Smart
No in-app purchases
apiALARM
No in-app purchases
