Comparison

Thermals vs SmartBFA

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

Head to head
About

Thermals

Monitor your device's thermal state and processor activity to diagnose performance issues. Understand why your phone might be running slowly, charging slowly, or have reduced brightness due to overheating. Export data for further analysis with other development tools.

Highlights
  • Displays device thermal state
  • Shows active processor count
  • Monitors device uptime
  • Troubleshoots performance issues
  • Helps diagnose slow charging
  • Identifies brightness limitations
  • Exports raw data for analysis
Features
Read full description

Phone running slowly, charging slowly or low brightness? See if your device is overheating using Thermals. Thermals displays your device’s thermal state, as well as how many processors are active on your device and its uptime, as reported by iOS. Thermals helps troubleshoot: • Poor performance — iOS reduces processor speed and potentially disables processors temporarily when the device is hot. • Slow charging — battery charging causes a lot of heat and iOS can limit charging speed to reduce the additional heat that might make a device too hot. • Low maximum brightness — if your device screen stays dark despite being on full brightness, it could be limited by iOS due to heat. • Manufacturing defects — if not all processors are active when the device is cool and not in low power mode. Your device's thermal state is monitored regularly in the background and recorded in the app (if Background App Refresh is enabled). Open the app or tap the widget to record a data point manually. Export the raw data to file for corroboration with Screen Time, Xcode's Instruments, or other development tools. Also an independent Apple Watch app shows the thermal status, active processors and uptime, and thermal history of your watch.

About

SmartBFA

Features
Read full description

SmartBFA is a #TechForGood project that uses crowdsourced path accessibility data to provide quicker, barrier-free navigation for wheelchair and personal mobility aid users, and provide meaningful data for infrastructural upgrades. This ADC (Advanced Data Collection) app allows SmartBFA volunteers to collect GPS & sensor data (e.g., gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer) which will help our navigation algorithms recommend quicker, barrier-free routes.

Screenshots

Thermals4 screens
SmartBFA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SmartBFA at monthly against Thermals's every 3 months. SmartBFA also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). Thermals's advantage is chart position (#172 vs unranked). 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

Thermals ships an update every 3 months, SmartBFA monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Thermals versus SmartBFA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThermalsSmartBFA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (30 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings30 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#172 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB63 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGeorge GarsideSong Wei Kong

In-app purchases

None

Thermals

No in-app purchases

None

SmartBFA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Thermals free?
Thermals is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SmartBFA free?
SmartBFA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Thermals or SmartBFA have ads?
Neither Thermals nor SmartBFA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Thermals or SmartBFA?
Thermals ships an update every 3 months, and SmartBFA monthly. Most recently, Thermals was updated on October 30, 2026 and SmartBFA on October 25, 2026.

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