Orbit Home vs apiALARM
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Orbit Home
Control and monitor your Wi-Fi enabled smart garage door opener or universal controller remotely. Receive real-time alerts for door status and manage access for family and friends. You can also control your garage door opener's light.
- Remote garage door control
- Real-time status monitoring
- Push notifications for door activity
- Garage door opener light control
- Share access with others
- Monitor multiple garage doors
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Skylink's Orbit allows you to control and monitor Skyilnk's Wi-Fi enabled smart garage door opener and universal smart garage door controller, Nova. Have control and peace of mind of your garage door. Check garage door status from anywhere with your smartphone and never forget to close your garage door again. Features: - Control and monitor garage door opener remotely - Get real time push notification alerts when door is open, closed - Control the light of the garage door opener - Share access with family members or friends, with either temporary access or permanent access - Monitor multiple doors You need either one of the following Wi-Fi enabled devices to use the Orbit App. - Skylink Wi-Fi enabled garage door opener - Nova Universal Smart Garage Door Controller For more information on Skylink's Orbit, please visit www.skylinkhome.com.
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 rating: apiALARM at 4.7 against Orbit Home's 2.4. apiALARM also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Orbit Home's advantage is ratings volume (67 vs 15) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, 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.
apiALARM holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 67 and 15 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 31% of Orbit Home's written reviews are positive against 28% of apiALARM's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Orbit Home | apiALARM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.4 (67 ratings) | 4.7 (15 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 31.1% of reviews — better | 27.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 67 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 375 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Skylink Group | a.p.i. ALARM Inc. |
Customer experience
Orbit Home
apiALARM
Bugs and requests
Orbit Home
Reported bugs
16 issues- Email verification code entry freezes during signup
- Login timeout errors preventing access
- App won't recognize email addresses when adding users
- WiFi connectivity detection fails despite active connection
- Door opens partially on its own then closes
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- Push notifications delayed by hours
- Door status shows incorrect state (open when closed)
- App crashes after iPhone OS updates
- Cannot complete initial setup process
- Requires multiple setup attempts (5+ times)
- Door won't respond to app commands despite showing online
- Random online/offline status cycling
- Notifications stopped working after recent updates
- App requires login every time despite Face ID enabled
- Advanced WiFi settings (5GHz) cause connection failures
- Door sensor frequently disconnects from WiFi
Requested features
14 requests- Apple HomeKit integration
- Apple Watch app support
- CarPlay support
- Automatic door closing with timer
- Scheduled closing times
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- Notification alerts for doors left open too long
- LED light timer control
- Google Home integration (already exists but needs improvement)
- Dark mode
- Home screen widget for quick access
- Siri voice control support
- Door open duration alerts
- Light status toggle indicator
- Two-way voice/camera integration improvements
apiALARM
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Orbit Home
No in-app purchases
apiALARM
No in-app purchases
