Comparison

LC Installer vs Smart Shade Control

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

Head to head
About

LC Installer

This app allows users to scan and organize smart lighting devices. Device information is then sent to a platform for free, remote commissioning. It's designed for setting up lighting control systems.

Highlights
  • Scan and organize devices
  • Multi-site support
  • Multi-gateway support
  • Assign devices to rooms
  • Assign device zone names
  • Create installation notes
Features
Read full description

Use the Installer App to scan and organize Lightcloud Devices. The Device information is then seamlessly sent to RAB for free, remote commissioning. It’s really that simple. Features • Multi-Site • Multi-Gateway • Assign Devices to Rooms • Assign Device Zone Names • Assign Dimmers to Controllers • Create Installation Notes The Installer App is for setting up / commissioning a Lightcloud system. For lighting controls and management, please use the Lightcloud App.

About

Smart Shade Control

Effortlessly manage your smart window shades with direct local control. Automate opening and closing based on schedules, sunrise/sunset, or your location. Integrate with Siri and Shortcuts for hands-free operation and create custom scenes.

Highlights
  • Direct Matter/Thread pairing
  • Local cloud-free operation
  • Sunrise/sunset automation
  • Geofence triggers
  • Siri and Shortcuts integration
  • Customizable scenes
  • Usage analytics
Features
Read full description

Take complete control of your window shades. No cloud account, no subscription, no third-party login required. Smart Shade Control pairs directly with your shades over Matter and Thread using Apple's native HomeKit framework, keeping everything private and local on your device. Simple, Secure Pairing: Add your shades in seconds by scanning the QR code on each motor. Smart Shade Control uses Apple's native HomeKit commissioning over your local Thread network. Your shades are never routed through the cloud. Compatible with Canisteo, Eve, Aqara, Zemismart, and other window covering brands that support Matter over Thread. Powerful Automation: Set your shades on a schedule, or let the sun decide. Smart Shade Control calculates local sunrise and sunset times without any internet connection, so your shades can open with the morning light and close at dusk automatically, every day. Fine-tune each event with a custom offset up to two hours before or after sunrise or sunset. Location-Based Triggers: Arriving home? Your shades can be waiting at your preferred position before you walk through the door. Leaving? Close everything automatically. Geofence automations run quietly in the background with no manual interaction required. Siri and Shortcuts: Control your shades hands-free. Say things like "Open all shades in Smart Shade Control" or "Close the Living Room shade" using Siri. Build multi-step automations in the Shortcuts app using any Smart Shade Control action including open, close, set position, and activate a scene. Scenes: Save your favorite shade configurations as named scenes such as Morning, Movie Night, or Working From Home, and activate them with a single tap or a Siri command. Usage Analytics: See exactly how your shades have been used with beautiful charts. Track position history over time, daily activity patterns, and a breakdown of what triggered each operation including manual, schedule, scene, automation, or Siri. Home Screen and Lock Screen Widgets: Glance at your shade positions without opening the app. The home screen widget shows up to three shades at once, while the lock screen widget displays a position gauge right on your Lock Screen. Designed for Privacy: Everything runs on your device and your local home network. No account creation, no data collection, no analytics sent anywhere. Your home stays yours. What You Need: iPhone running iOS 17 or later Window shades with Matter over Thread support, such as Canisteo (Deyi Smart), Eve MotionBlinds, Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1, Zemismart, or ZINGREE A Thread Border Router on your home network such as a HomePod mini, HomePod 2nd gen, or Apple TV 4K 2nd or 3rd gen Apple Home app set up on your iPhone.

Screenshots

LC Installer4 screens
Smart Shade Control4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LC Installer at none against Smart Shade Control's 1. LC Installer also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). Smart Shade Control's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). On price, rating, ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Smart Shade Control sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. LC Installer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for LC Installer against 5.0 for Smart Shade Control. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LC Installer ships an update every 4 months, Smart Shade Control monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
LC Installer versus Smart Shade Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLC InstallerSmart Shade Control
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRAB Lighting IncGary Cox

Customer experience

LC Installer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Smart Shade Control

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

LC Installer

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Smart Shade Control

One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro Access$4.99

Questions

Is LC Installer free?
LC Installer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Smart Shade Control free?
Smart Shade Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LC Installer or Smart Shade Control?
LC Installer and Smart Shade Control are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do LC Installer or Smart Shade Control have ads?
Neither LC Installer nor Smart Shade Control shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LC Installer or Smart Shade Control?
LC Installer ships an update every 4 months, and Smart Shade Control monthly. Most recently, LC Installer was updated on October 13, 2026 and Smart Shade Control on October 6, 2026.

Other comparisons