Comparison

SMOBOT vs BBQ Guru

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

Head to head
About

SMOBOT

Monitor and control your robotic grill remotely. Track food and grill temperatures, view cook graphs, and set custom alarms for notifications. Requires a SMOBOT Robotic Grill Controller.

Highlights
  • Monitor food and grill temperatures
  • Monitor damper state
  • View cook graphs
  • Change set point
  • Set food temperature alarms
  • Set grill temperature deviation alarms
Features
Read full description

The SMOBOT app for iOS lets you monitor and control your cooks with your SMOBOT Robotic Grill Controller. Features: - Monitor current food and grill temperatures - Monitor damper state and position - View a graph of your current cook - Display and change the set point of your SMOBOT - Set up alarms to be notified when your food reaches a specified temperature - Set up alarms to be notified if your grill temperature deviates from the set temp The SMOBOT app works in conjunction with your account on https://mysmobot.com.

About

BBQ Guru

This app allows you to remotely monitor and control your BBQ Guru temperature device. It helps maintain precise cooking temperatures for perfect barbecue results, sending notifications to your phone so you can relax while your food cooks.

Highlights
  • Remote temperature monitoring
  • Precise cooking temperature control
  • Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
  • Visual status feedback via light ring
  • Email and text notifications
  • Monitor food internal temperature
Features
Read full description

Barbecuing with charcoal is the only way to achieve that unbelievable succulent, tantalizing flavor. Whether you're cooking beef brisket, pork ribs, or chicken wings, the key ingredients to mastering delicious barbecue are the perfect mix of time and temperature. Conquering this slow cooking process allows the tough, chewy protein fibers in meat to break down and transform into incredibly tender barbecue. The problem is that charcoal is notoriously difficult to control and wild temperature fluctuations can result in tough, dried, or burnt meat. Powered by smart technology, the BBQ Guru temperature control devices easily avoid this disaster by remotely measuring the internal temperature of your foods and effortlessly maintaining the precise cooking temperature inside your grill. The revolutionary DynaQ and UltraQ controllers take outdoor cooking to the next level with the Guru Status Light Ring. At a glance, you can get visual feedback on the status of your cooking temperature and the operation of the control. In addition, you can use this app to monitor or update your BBQ Guru temperature control device via Bluetooth or WiFi to achieve perfect predictability and consistency with your cooks without needing to hover by the cooker. You can also setup email and text notifications, so you’ll always know the most up-to-date status of your BBQ. Whether you’re in your backyard playing with the kids, relaxing by the pool, or hanging out with friends and family, a quick check on your phone over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi ensures your food is on target.

Screenshots

SMOBOT4 screens
BBQ Guru4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SMOBOT at 83% against BBQ Guru's 12%. SMOBOT also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.7) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SMOBOT holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 28 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of SMOBOT's written reviews are positive against 12% of BBQ Guru's.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
SMOBOT versus BBQ Guru: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSMOBOTBBQ Guru
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (28 ratings) — better2.7 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews — better12.1% of reviews
Number of ratings28 — better15
Update frequency—Every 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB106 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIOT Controls LLCBBQ Guru

Customer experience

SMOBOT

All ratings26 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.8%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%

BBQ Guru

All ratings13 ratings
Positive38.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative61.5%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive12.1%
Neutral5.2%
Negative82.8%

Bugs and requests

SMOBOT

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

BBQ Guru

Reported bugs

24 issues
  • WiFi connection fails to establish or maintain connection
  • App crashes when making temperature adjustments
  • Bluetooth disconnects when out of range and won't reconnect automatically
  • Share My Cook feature missing or non-functional
  • API errors during login attempts
Show 19 more
  • Device requires factory reset after app updates
  • App freezes when accessing timer or chart features
  • Temperature readings don't update unless app is closed and reopened
  • Device locks up mid-cook with fan stuck at 100%
  • Bluetooth PIN mismatch (4 digits shown but 3 required)
  • WiFi symbol shows connected but app shows disconnected
  • App doesn't recognize paired devices after update
  • Settings changes don't persist (temperature units revert)
  • Stop recording button too large, easily accidentally clicked
  • Device unresponsive to app commands despite showing connected
  • Pit temperature resets to zero randomly
  • Probe temperature readings inaccurate (9 degrees offset)
  • App doesn't send real-time alerts or notifications
  • Share My Cook website inaccurate or broken
  • Landscape mode not supported causing text overlap
  • Password reset emails not working
  • Long WiFi passwords with special characters rejected
  • App crashes when switching between Bluetooth and WiFi
  • Device shows purple WiFi light but app says disconnected

Requested features

14 requests
  • Temperature graph/chart over time tracking
  • iPhone push notifications and alerts
  • Apple Watch app integration
  • Alexa voice control integration
  • Landscape mode support for tablets
Show 9 more
  • Food temperature probe tracking
  • Multiple alarm configuration options
  • WiFi-only connection option without Bluetooth
  • User forum for community support
  • Simplified setup wizard for new users
  • Better password validation (support longer/special characters)
  • Temperature unit consistency across all settings
  • Third-party app compatibility restoration
  • Legacy device support continuation

In-app purchases

None

SMOBOT

No in-app purchases

None

BBQ Guru

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SMOBOT free?
SMOBOT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BBQ Guru free?
BBQ Guru is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SMOBOT or BBQ Guru?
SMOBOT is rated higher. SMOBOT averages 4.5 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while BBQ Guru averages 2.7 from 15 ratings.
Do SMOBOT or BBQ Guru have ads?
Neither SMOBOT nor BBQ Guru shows ads.

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