Grid Status vs Polar
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Grid Status
Monitor the UK's electricity grid in real-time. See a breakdown of energy generation sources like wind, solar, and nuclear. Optimize appliance usage for times of high renewable energy to reduce your carbon footprint.
- Live electricity grid updates
- Breakdown of generation types
- Renewable energy tracking
- Carbon footprint reduction tips
- Optimized appliance usage guidance
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Keep track of the GB electricity grid using Grid Status. This app empowers you with a live update of the GB electricity grid, with a breakdown of each generation type, such as wind, solar, gas or nuclear that are producing electricity for your home. You can use the app to optimise the use of your electrical appliances to times when the electricity grid is using renewable energy sources that have low carbon impact, helping you reduce your carbon footprint. More features coming soon!
Polar
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Grid Status at none against Polar's 1. Grid Status also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.4). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Polar sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $25.00 per year. Grid Status asks for nothing beyond the download.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Grid Status | Polar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 69 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jack McLean | GivEnergy Software Limited |
In-app purchases
Grid Status
No in-app purchases
Polar
- Yearly Subscription1 Year trial$25.001 Year
