# Controls vs Safety Observer 3.0

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Controls at 13.0 against Safety Observer 3.0's 16.4. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Controls ships an update every 2 months, Safety Observer 3.0 monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Controls | Safety Observer 3.0 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Size | 14 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolai Ascanius](https://appshunter.io/developer/1447961331) | [The National Research Centre for the Working Environment](https://appshunter.io/developer/1456795250) |

## What reviewers say

### Controls

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/controls/id1595095093)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Safety Observer 3.0

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/safety-observer-30/id1671123027)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Controls free?

Controls is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Safety Observer 3.0 free?

Safety Observer 3.0 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Controls or Safety Observer 3.0 have ads?

Neither Controls nor Safety Observer 3.0 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Controls or Safety Observer 3.0?

Controls ships an update every 2 months, and Safety Observer 3.0 monthly. Most recently, Controls was updated on October 10, 2026 and Safety Observer 3.0 on September 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*