# BroadLink vs Shellbee

The clearest difference is update cadence: Shellbee at every 5 days against BroadLink's monthly. BroadLink's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.5). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BroadLink ships an update monthly, Shellbee every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BroadLink | Shellbee |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/broadlink/id1450257910/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 167 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Broadlink Co.,Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/714823084) | [Kenneth Berg](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895180037) |

## What reviewers say

### BroadLink

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/broadlink/id1450257910)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Works well with Alexa
- 💡 Consolidates multiple remotes
- 🔒 Secure connection
- 👍 Intuitive app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 Unreliable device pairing
- 🐛 Buggy app updates
- 🔧 Difficult setup process
- 🔧 Confusing user interface

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shellbee/id6763139074)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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.

### 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 5 days. Most recently, BroadLink was updated on October 7, 2026 and Shellbee on September 26, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*