# Smart Reef vs SLcontrol

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SLcontrol at none against Smart Reef's 11. SLcontrol also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smart Reef sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. SLcontrol asks for nothing beyond the download.

Smart Reef ships an update every 3 months, SLcontrol every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 11, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smart Reef | SLcontrol |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.6 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-reef/id1480355166/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **19** | — |
| Positive reviews | 3.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.6** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Reef Factory sp. z o.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1367901113) | [Malgorzata Waszczuk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1636348046) |

## What reviewers say

### Smart Reef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-reef/id1480355166)

Manage your marine aquarium with this app. It provides device management, alerts for issues, and detailed historical data. A central dashboard offers a clear overview of your aquarium's status and device operations.

**Highlights:** Device management, Aquarium alerts, Measurement history, Operational status dashboard, Planned job journal, Preset sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Warranty 3 years | $12.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $17.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $19.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $24.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $29.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $34.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $39.99 | one-time |
| Warranty 3 years | $49.99 | one-time |


### SLcontrol

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slcontrol/id1636348044)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smart Reef free?

Smart Reef is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SLcontrol free?

SLcontrol is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Smart Reef or SLcontrol have ads?

Neither Smart Reef nor SLcontrol shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smart Reef or SLcontrol?

Smart Reef ships an update every 3 months, and SLcontrol every 5 weeks. Most recently, Smart Reef was updated on June 11, 2026 and SLcontrol on September 10, 2026.

---

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