Comparison

Tri vs Polar

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

Head to head
About

Tri

Control your aquarium lighting with customizable settings. Schedule sunrise and sunset effects, adjust colors, and access support resources. Requires a specific controller for advanced features.

Highlights
  • Instant controls
  • 24-hour timer
  • Customizable colors
  • Sunrise & sunset simulation
  • Biotope pre-sets (with controller)
  • Storm function (with controller)
Features
Read full description

New and improved Tri-Spec 2 App for aquarium lighting. Free App download. Original features include Instant controls, 24 hour timer, colour customisable options, sunrise & sunset features and also support pages that include setup, troubleshooting & customer care support. ย  Tri-Spec 1 or 2 LED users with this App will need the Tri-Spec 2 App Controller 2 to access the New Biotope Pre-Sets, Customisable Blue-Moon After Sunset, Storm function & Unique Code Connection. ย  This App also works with the original Tri-Spec 1 App Controller and both Tri-spec 1 & 2 LED lighting but to access the new features a new Tri-Spec 2 App controller will need to be used. Contact us for more information if you are a current Tri-Spec 1 App user. ย  ย  Tri-Spec 2 App Controller 2โ€™s are available from all good aquatic retailers. ย  ย  Powered by Bluetooth technology. ย  For more information, troubleshooting & spares please go to www.interpet.co.uk or email contact customercare@interpet.co.uk. ย  Interpet has over 65 years of aquatic experience to ensure every element of the design of this product has been carefully considered to help you enjoy aquarium keeping.

About

Polar

Features
Read full description

The Polar-ESS App uses an API and connects to your Polar-ESS Cloud Monitoring account. The APP provides basic information about your Home Energy Demand, Solar PV Generation, Grid import energy and Battery Usage To view the Privacy Policy and EULA please visit the links provided in the app, or visit https://givenergy.co.uk/website-privacy-policy/ and https://polar-ess.co.uk/terms/ respectively.

Screenshots

Tri1 screens
Polar3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tri at none against Polar's 1. Tri also leads on iOS requirement (7.0 vs 17.4). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Polar sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $25.00 per year. Tri asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tri ships an update every 2 months, Polar every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 6 level
Tri versus Polar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTriPolar
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews9.1% of reviewsโ€”
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 weeks โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
MonetizationFreeโ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS7.0 โ€” better17.4
Further details โ€” not scored
Size21 MB69 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerinterpet.co.ukGivEnergy Software Limited

In-app purchases

None

Tri

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Polar

Subscriptions1
  • Yearly Subscription1 Year trial$25.001 Year

Questions

Is Tri free?
Tri is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Polar free?
Polar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Tri or Polar have ads?
Neither Tri nor Polar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tri or Polar?
Tri ships an update every 2 months, and Polar every 5 weeks. Most recently, Tri was updated on October 17, 2026 and Polar on September 20, 2026.

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