# Lowkey vs Hostex

The clearest difference is monetization model: Hostex at freemium against Lowkey's subscription. Hostex also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 78%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Lowkey against 4.4 for Hostex. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 37 and 99 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Lowkey's written reviews are positive against 92% of Hostex's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lowkey | Hostex |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lowkey-smart-buzzer/id1513284627/reviews) | **[4.4 (99 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hostex/id1516632984/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 37 | **99** |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | **91.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 86 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ORDINARY LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1513284626) | [Xiaogechuangxin Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1385072977) |

## What reviewers say

### Lowkey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lowkey-smart-buzzer/id1513284627)

Control your apartment or condo buzzer remotely from your smartphone. This app allows you to manage access for guests, share entry with multiple users, and receive security notifications without any physical installation.

**Highlights:** Remote buzzer control, Share access with multiple users, Schedule access by time/day, Receive guest arrival notifications, View activity history, Forward calls to multiple phones

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient for apartment living
- 🚀 Easy to use and set up
- 💡 Allows pre-unlocking entry doors
- 💡 Enables setting codes for friends/guests
- 👍 Great for package deliveries

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Billing issues and lack of response
- 😞 Difficulty getting refunds
- 😞 External billing system (not Apple Pay/iOS integrated)
- 😞 Subscription cancellation problems
- 😞 Charges without notification

**Reported bugs**

- App can't debounce numbers correctly (e.g., '1' as '11')
- Guest passcode not working for some users

**Requested features**

- Add support for Apple Shortcuts
- Add interactive widget support
- Fix guest passcode issues
- Improve clarity on incoming call numbers (distinguish from spam)


### Hostex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hostex/id1516632984)

Streamline short-term rental management across multiple booking platforms. Automate guest communication, check-ins, cleaning tasks, and pricing. Create direct booking sites and manage team accounts efficiently.

**Highlights:** Multi-channel integration (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, etc.), Automated guest messaging with AI bots, Automated check-in guides and door lock code generation, Task automation for cleaning and maintenance, Team account management with role-based permissions, Direct booking site creation and customization, Smart pricing tool integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💰 Unbeatable price/value
- 🚀 Efficient and fast performance
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💡 Innovative AI message capability
- 🔄 Seamless integration with major platforms

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable at times
- ⚠️ Double bookings occur
- ❌ Customer service is slow
- ⚠️ Blames users for issues
- 🚫 No dark mode

**Reported bugs**

- Double booking issues
- Receipt image upload fails
- Owner reports get stuck
- Price synchronization issues leading to undercharges
- Instant booking enabled without user knowledge

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to change default home screen
- Display guest photos in the app
- More ways to customize review requests
- Video tutorials on YouTube


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lowkey free?

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

### Is Hostex free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Lowkey or Hostex?

Hostex is rated higher. Lowkey averages 4.3 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while Hostex averages 4.4 from 99 ratings.

### Do Lowkey or Hostex have ads?

Neither Lowkey nor Hostex shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lowkey or Hostex?

Lowkey ships an update every 3 weeks, and Hostex every 3 weeks. Most recently, Lowkey was updated on October 11, 2026 and Hostex on October 12, 2026.

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