PRIME Wire vs Defender Empower
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PRIME Wire
Control connected devices wirelessly from anywhere. Schedule custom timers for lighting and appliances, and manage multiple devices simultaneously. Receive alerts when devices activate, offering convenient home automation.
- Wireless device control
- Custom timer schedules
- Manual ON/OFF control
- Smart Scenes for multiple devices
- Add and configure multiple devices
- Push notifications
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The PRIME ON app provides wireless control of your connected devices from anywhere. The PRIME ON app is the perfect tool to control your PRIME SmartOutlets. PRIME's home automation products now work with Google Home and Amazon Alexa. -Set multiple custom timer schedules for indoor and outdoor lighting, fans, and other electrical devices. -Manual ON/OFF control allows you to control your devices from your smartphone or tablet. -Smart Scenes feature enables the linkage of multiple devices providing control of multiple devices at the same time. -Easily add and configure multiple PRIME devices. -Receive push notifications to alert you when devices activate. *Requires internet access or cellular signal.
Defender Empower
Stay connected with your home or business from anywhere. This app allows you to view live feeds, review recorded footage, and receive instant motion detection alerts. You can also easily share important clips and customize recording schedules.
- Live video streaming
- Recorded footage playback
- Motion detection alerts
- Footage sharing
- Customizable recording schedules
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Join the community of families and businesses that choose Defender to stay connected, anywhere, anytime. With the Defender Empower App: - LIVE: Check-in on what’s happening, anytime - PLAYBACK: Easily watch recorded footage - NOTIFICATIONS: Receive instant alerts when motion is detected - SHARE: Save and share footage, whether it’s funny or suspicious - SCHEDULE: Customize your recording schedule to fit your lifestyle and needs
Screenshots
Verdict
PRIME Wire and Defender Empower are too close to call on the numbers: across 10 compared parameters — price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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 — 4.7 for PRIME Wire against 4.6 for Defender Empower. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 39% and 40% positive.
PRIME Wire ships an update every 6 months, Defender Empower every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PRIME Wire | Defender Empower |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1K ratings) — better | 4.6 (1.7K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 39.1% of reviews | 40.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1K | 1.7K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months — better | Every 7 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 218 MB | 186 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Prime Wire and Cable, Inc. | Empowerment Technologies Inc. |
Customer experience
PRIME Wire
Defender Empower
User reviews
PRIME Wire
From 1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Works as advertised
- 🚀 Simple setup
- 🚀 Reliable functionality
- 👍 Consistent performance
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 Unreliable in cold weather
- 🐛 Buggy app updates
- 🔒 Security/privacy concerns
- 🐛 Difficulty pairing devices
Defender Empower
From 1.7K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great camera quality
- 🔒 Reliable security system
- 👍 Easy to set up and use
- 👍 Useful app features
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes
- 🔋 Battery life issues
- 👎 Poor customer service
- 👎 Unreliable camera connectivity
- 👎 Difficult to navigate app
Bugs and requests
PRIME Wire
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes after iOS updates
- Devices randomly going offline
- Unable to log in or change password
- Schedules/timers not working as expected
- Inability to add or control individual plugs
Requested features
5 requests- Siri/HomeKit integration
- Auto-shutoff timer option
- Improved app UI/UX
- Better cold weather performance
- More reliable connectivity
Defender Empower
Reported bugs
4 issues- Cameras randomly going offline
- App not showing all camera feeds
- Playback not working as expected
- Notifications not triggering consistently
Requested features
4 requests- Add two-way audio capability
- Improve playback and recording functionality
- Provide PC/desktop app support
- Enhance motion detection and alerts
In-app purchases
PRIME Wire
No in-app purchases
Defender Empower
No in-app purchases
