Comparison

FriedrichConnect vs GridRewards

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

Head to head
About

FriedrichConnect

Control your home's climate remotely with this app. Easily set schedules, adjust temperatures, and manage multiple units from anywhere. Enjoy perfect comfort and potential energy savings with its intuitive interface.

Highlights
  • Remote unit control
  • Custom scheduling
  • Temperature adjustment
  • System mode selection
  • Fan speed control
  • Multi-unit grouping
Features
Read full description

Home or away, you’re in control with the FriedrichConnect App. Simple-to-use with powerful features for perfect comfort and energy savings Connect in minutes It’s easy with our simplified set up process Easily set your home, away, and night time preferences Set a seven day custom schedule that fits your lifestyle You’re in control anytime, anywhere Power units off and on, increase or decrease a unit’s set point temperature, change system cool, fan, heat, and auto settings and fan speeds Controlling multiple units is simple With our advanced grouping program, you can control multiple units to work independently or as a single system. You can even invite other users to manage one or more of your units

About

GridRewards

Earn cash back and reduce your electricity bill by learning when and how to cut energy usage. This free app helps you create new energy-saving habits and understand your consumption. Participate in events to save electricity and get paid, while also reducing your carbon footprint.

Highlights
  • Earn cash payments for reducing energy usage
  • Reduce electricity bills
  • Participate in energy-saving events
  • Refer friends for extra rewards
  • Reduce carbon footprint
  • Personalized energy insights
Read full description

GridRewards is an award-winning, free app that tells you when and how to reduce your energy usage. Earn cash payments and reduce your electricity bill all year round. An average household can earn more than $100/year — oh, and 98% of GridRewards participants got paid last year. GridRewards is a powerful tool to create new routines and change our behavior around energy use. We encourage people to be more mindful of our power consumption, how energy is produced, and how our daily actions add up. Together with our neighbors, our small change adds up to real change, real carbon impact, and real money. And we shift the power from energy companies to our communities. HOW IT WORKS 1. Unplug during events.  GridRewards events are the most important times to save electricity. We’ll tell you when they’re happening — usually during hot summer afternoons, about 5-10 times per year. 2. Get paid. Get your friends paid. We'll send you a check at the end of the year for the electricity you save during events. Get $10 extra for each friend you refer. Work together with your neighborhood to earn extra rewards and multiply your impact! 3. Reduce your carbon footprint. Keep an eye on your electricity use and carbon footprint. Get personalized energy insights and learn about the best times to use energy. WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM? Your utility company pays to reduce electricity at peak times to help maintain system reliability in your community.

Screenshots

FriedrichConnect4 screens
GridRewards4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: GridRewards at 4.6 against FriedrichConnect's 1.3. GridRewards also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months) and review sentiment (20% vs 7%). FriedrichConnect's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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

GridRewards holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GridRewards has 867 ratings behind it against 159, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 7% of FriedrichConnect's written reviews are positive against 20% of GridRewards's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FriedrichConnect ships an update every 10 months, GridRewards every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 5, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
FriedrichConnect versus GridRewards: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFriedrichConnectGridRewards
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.3 (159 ratings)4.6 (867 ratings) — better
Positive reviews6.9% of reviews20.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings159867 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFriedrich Air ConditioningEnergy Technology Savings LLC

Customer experience

FriedrichConnect

All ratings159 ratings
Positive6.9%
Neutral2.5%
Negative90.6%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive6.9%
Neutral2.6%
Negative90.5%

GridRewards

All ratings867 ratings
Positive90.7%
Neutral1.5%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive20.3%
Neutral4.7%
Negative75.0%

User reviews

FriedrichConnect

From 159 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Figured out setup process
  • 🕰️ App works well after initial setup

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Difficult to connect and set up
  • 🔍 Unreliable app functionality
  • 🔍 Unresponsive customer support
  • 🔍 Outdated and broken app versions

GridRewards

From 867 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💡 Helpful advice for energy conservation
  • 👍 Provides useful data on energy sources

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inaccurate event performance data and reports
  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app functionality
  • 🔒 Poor customer support and lack of transparency
  • 💰 Inconsistent and unfair rewards payouts

Bugs and requests

FriedrichConnect

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App frequently crashes or freezes
  • Inability to connect devices to WiFi
  • Scheduled settings not saving properly
  • Temperature readings not updating correctly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improve app stability and reliability
  • Provide better customer support
  • Integrate with smart home platforms
  • Add essential features like on/off control

GridRewards

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Events section not working after latest update
  • Unable to enter zip code on initial screen
  • Inability to link or disconnect utility account

Requested features

3 requests
  • Include winter energy usage data
  • Improve account management and deletion options
  • Provide more detailed energy usage analytics

In-app purchases

None

FriedrichConnect

No in-app purchases

None

GridRewards

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FriedrichConnect free?
FriedrichConnect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GridRewards free?
GridRewards is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FriedrichConnect or GridRewards?
GridRewards is rated higher. FriedrichConnect averages 1.3 out of 5 from 159 ratings, while GridRewards averages 4.6 from 867 ratings.
Do FriedrichConnect or GridRewards have ads?
GridRewards shows ads; FriedrichConnect does not.
Which is updated more often, FriedrichConnect or GridRewards?
FriedrichConnect ships an update every 10 months, and GridRewards every 3 weeks. Most recently, FriedrichConnect was updated on July 5, 2026 and GridRewards on September 11, 2026.

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