Linus Smart vs background
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Linus Smart
Control your home appliances remotely and simultaneously from a single application. Set timers for automated functions, share device access with family, and easily connect new devices. Enjoy dynamic lighting that syncs with your music.
- Remote appliance control
- Simultaneous multi-device control
- Automated timer functions
- Family device sharing
- Easy device connection
- Music-synced lighting
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1. Remote control: control home appliances from anywhere 2. Simultaneously control: control multiple devices with one App 3. Timer: set timer to perform multiple functions 4. Device sharing: One tap to share devices among family members 5. Easy connection: easily and quickly connect App to devices 6. Music function: change the color and brightness regarding music rhythm
background
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background is a personal space for everything you watch, read, listen to, and play. Build an organized collection of movies, TV shows, books, audiobooks, music albums, games, anime, manga, and comics. Create custom categories for any other interest. Features: • save titles, dates, ratings, notes, links, and cover images; • mark completed, wanted, and recommended entries; • track seasons and episodes; • find entries with search and filters; • synchronize your collection across devices; • import content from connected services; • create a public profile and publish only selected categories and entries; • follow public profiles and receive recommendation notifications. You control what is public: entries remain private until you explicitly enable sharing. App license agreement (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: background at every 2 months against Linus Smart's every 9 months. Linus Smart's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Linus Smart ships an update every 9 months, background every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Linus Smart | background |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (320 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 320 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 176 MB | 35 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Emzar Kitesashvili | Egor Knyazkov |
Bugs and requests
Linus Smart
Reported bugs
2 issues- App disconnects from phone
- Cannot set up on older iOS/Android versions despite labeling
Requested features
6 requests- Siri connectivity
- Create shortcuts for Siri commands
- Dark mode
- Widget support (lock screen control)
- Apple Home integration
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- Integration with open-source smart home solutions (e.g., Home Assistant)
background
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Linus Smart
No in-app purchases
background
No in-app purchases
