magic5 vs SmartController
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
magic5
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magic5 enables staff on the go to fill in job sheets on their phone or tablet, with items such as signatures, photos, drawings, diagrams, drop down lists, and check boxes. Track staff via GPS and ensure all aspects of the job sheet are entered with mandatory completion. Staff who are out and about can receive jobs sent from the office with high, medium and low priority status, as well as all of the specific job instructions. Once on site, the app user can fill in the job sheet, take photos, capture signatures, record travel times, and even price up materials and labour. When the job sheet is complete, it is sent back to the office for review, sign-off and further processing. Your customer can receive an invoice before staff have even left site! magic5 can link with Microsoft Office, Sage, Salesforce, ClicData, and many, many more systems - just ask!
SmartController
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Brigadeβs new SmartController dongle and app allows users to remotely configure a Brigade MDR via the SmartController app. Features include β β’ Display live information including device, storage and network status β’ Playback footage stored on the MDR β’ View live images from the MDR β’ Create exclusive Wi-fi hotspots so that mobile devices can connect to individual MDRs β’ Export data, upgrade firmware, load configuration data and much more For more information on SmartController and Mobile Digital Recording, visit - https://brigade-electronics.com/mdr-hub/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: magic5 at every 6 weeks against SmartController's every 12 months. SmartController's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
magic5 ships an update every 6 weeks, SmartController every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | magic5 | SmartController |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks β better | Every 12 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 9.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 74 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cadence Computing Ltd | Brigade Electronics Group PLC |
In-app purchases
magic5
No in-app purchases
SmartController
No in-app purchases









