Comparison

BroadLink vs Shellbee

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

Head to head
About

BroadLink

Manage all your smart home devices from one place, anywhere in the world. Control lighting, appliances, security, and more with intelligent automation and one-button scene control. Features zero-configuration setup for compatible devices.

Highlights
  • Remote device management
  • Intelligent power control
  • Lighting control
  • IR and RF remote control
  • Security and sensor integration
  • Scene creation
  • Zero configuration device setup
Features
Read full description

The new BroadLink super app lets you manage all BroadLink and compatible products in your home from anywhere in the world at any time, enjoying smart life style with intelligent power control, lighting control, IR and RF remote control, security protection, sensors, home appliances, etc. With BroadLink app, you can easily set triggers for interaction or scenes for one-button control of multiple devices. Also new FastCon technology is adopted in BroadLink app which enables you to add FastCon compatible devices without configuration process (Zero Configuration). If you have any questions, please click the "Feedback" Button in the "Help and Feedback" of the App.

About

Shellbee

Control and configure your Zigbee devices directly from your mobile device. Monitor network health, manage device settings, and update firmware with a native, cloud-free experience. Requires a running Zigbee2MQTT server.

Highlights
  • Real-time network map
  • Device control and configuration
  • Firmware updates with Live Activities
  • Multi-bridge support
  • Customizable Home screen
  • Offline device documentation
Features
Read full description

Your Zigbee network, in your pocket and on your iPad. Shellbee is a native app for Zigbee2MQTT. It connects straight to your bridge and gives you a fast, Apple-native way to watch, control and configure every device, with no cloud in between. REQUIRES A ZIGBEE2MQTT SERVER Shellbee is a client app. You need your own running Zigbee2MQTT instance and an access token. Local and remote setups both work. SEE EVERYTHING AT A GLANCE • A Home screen built from cards you choose and order: Bridge Health, Network, Link Quality, Batteries, Vendors and Activity. • Needs attention shows offline devices, low batteries and weak signal before you go looking. • A live Network Map of your whole mesh, with scan progress, filters and quick look (iPad). • An Activity Center that shows what your devices are doing as it happens. CONTROL AND CONFIGURE • Controls are generated from each device's Zigbee2MQTT exposes: lights, switches, covers, fans, locks, climate and sensors. • Every setting is grouped the same way on every device, using Zigbee2MQTT's own names. • Groups and scenes: browse, edit members, rename, drag devices in. • Favorites, filters and one search across devices, groups and the device library. • Bridge settings for MQTT, serial, network, OTA, logging, availability, Home Assistant and more. PAIR AND UPDATE WITH CONFIDENCE • Permit join and a step-by-step pairing guide with live progress. • Firmware updates with progress in Live Activities on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. • Offline device documentation for how to pair and what each device can do. MORE THAN ONE BRIDGE Connect several bridges at once and see them side by side. Each has its own colour and initial, and single-bridge users see nothing extra. MADE FOR IPHONE AND IPAD • Full iPad workspace with a sidebar, details side by side and extra windows. • Six colour themes: Standard, Honey, Meadow, Harbor, Lavender and Ember. • Real-time WebSocket connection over ws:// or wss://, with Bonjour discovery for .local hosts. • Built in SwiftUI with Live Activities, so it feels fast and native, not like a wrapped web page. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Talks only to the bridge you choose. No ads, no tracking, no analytics and no developer server. • Access tokens are stored in the iOS Keychain. • Crash reporting is optional and off by default. Nothing is sent unless you say so, and reports never include your bridge address, token or device names. OPEN SOURCE Shellbee is licensed under AGPL v3, with the source on GitHub.

Screenshots

BroadLink3 screens
Shellbee4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Shellbee at 5.0 against BroadLink's 4.3. Shellbee also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly). BroadLink's advantage is ratings volume (2.6K vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Shellbee holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BroadLink has 2.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BroadLink ships an update monthly, Shellbee every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
BroadLink versus Shellbee: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBroadLinkShellbee
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (2.6K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.6K — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size167 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBroadlink Co.,LtdKenneth Berg

Customer experience

BroadLink

All ratings2,574 ratings
Positive82.8%
Neutral3.9%
Negative13.3%
Written reviews462 reviews
Positive57.8%
Neutral6.9%
Negative35.3%

Shellbee

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

BroadLink

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Scenes not working as expected
  • Frequent app crashes
  • Devices going offline randomly
  • Alexa integration issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to customize button layouts
  • Integration with more smart home platforms
  • Improved scheduling and automation features
  • Temperature display in Fahrenheit
  • Backup and restore functionality

Shellbee

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

BroadLink

No in-app purchases

None

Shellbee

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BroadLink free?
BroadLink is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shellbee free?
Shellbee is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BroadLink or Shellbee?
Shellbee is rated higher. BroadLink averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Shellbee averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do BroadLink or Shellbee have ads?
Neither BroadLink nor Shellbee shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BroadLink or Shellbee?
BroadLink ships an update monthly, and Shellbee every 2 days. Most recently, BroadLink was updated on October 29, 2026 and Shellbee on October 12, 2026.

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