Comparison

NILAN vs Shellbee

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

Head to head
About

NILAN

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NILANSmart, smart life, smart living 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

About

Shellbee

Control and configure your Zigbee devices directly from your mobile device. Monitor network health, manage device settings, and update firmware with a native, cloud-free experience. Requires a running Zigbee2MQTT server.

Highlights
  • Real-time network map
  • Device control and configuration
  • Firmware updates with Live Activities
  • Multi-bridge support
  • Customizable Home screen
  • Offline device documentation
Features
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Your Zigbee network, in your pocket and on your iPad. Shellbee is a native app for Zigbee2MQTT. It connects straight to your bridge and gives you a fast, Apple-native way to watch, control and configure every device, with no cloud in between. REQUIRES A ZIGBEE2MQTT SERVER Shellbee is a client app. You need your own running Zigbee2MQTT instance and an access token. Local and remote setups both work. SEE EVERYTHING AT A GLANCE • A Home screen built from cards you choose and order: Bridge Health, Network, Link Quality, Batteries, Vendors and Activity. • Needs attention shows offline devices, low batteries and weak signal before you go looking. • A live Network Map of your whole mesh, with scan progress, filters and quick look (iPad). • An Activity Center that shows what your devices are doing as it happens. CONTROL AND CONFIGURE • Controls are generated from each device's Zigbee2MQTT exposes: lights, switches, covers, fans, locks, climate and sensors. • Every setting is grouped the same way on every device, using Zigbee2MQTT's own names. • Groups and scenes: browse, edit members, rename, drag devices in. • Favorites, filters and one search across devices, groups and the device library. • Bridge settings for MQTT, serial, network, OTA, logging, availability, Home Assistant and more. PAIR AND UPDATE WITH CONFIDENCE • Permit join and a step-by-step pairing guide with live progress. • Firmware updates with progress in Live Activities on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. • Offline device documentation for how to pair and what each device can do. MORE THAN ONE BRIDGE Connect several bridges at once and see them side by side. Each has its own colour and initial, and single-bridge users see nothing extra. MADE FOR IPHONE AND IPAD • Full iPad workspace with a sidebar, details side by side and extra windows. • Six colour themes: Standard, Honey, Meadow, Harbor, Lavender and Ember. • Real-time WebSocket connection over ws:// or wss://, with Bonjour discovery for .local hosts. • Built in SwiftUI with Live Activities, so it feels fast and native, not like a wrapped web page. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Talks only to the bridge you choose. No ads, no tracking, no analytics and no developer server. • Access tokens are stored in the iOS Keychain. • Crash reporting is optional and off by default. Nothing is sent unless you say so, and reports never include your bridge address, token or device names. OPEN SOURCE Shellbee is licensed under AGPL v3, with the source on GitHub.

Screenshots

NILAN4 screens
Shellbee4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Shellbee at every 2 days against NILAN's every 47 months. NILAN's advantage is iOS requirement (12.2 vs 17.5). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NILAN ships an update every 47 months, Shellbee every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
NILAN versus Shellbee: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNILANShellbee
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 47 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.2 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size165 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNingbo Nailan Environment System Co.,LtdKenneth Berg

In-app purchases

None

NILAN

No in-app purchases

None

Shellbee

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NILAN free?
NILAN is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shellbee free?
Shellbee is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do NILAN or Shellbee have ads?
Neither NILAN nor Shellbee shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NILAN or Shellbee?
NILAN ships an update every 47 months, and Shellbee every 2 days. Most recently, NILAN was updated on September 21, 2026 and Shellbee on October 12, 2026.

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