Key vs the hubbub
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Key
This utility app allows users to remotely control and connect to devices, facilitating data transmission and collection. It enables over-the-air upgrades and social sharing, while also displaying meter speeds and reading device information directly from a mobile phone.
- Remote control and connection
- Data transmission and collection
- Over-the-air (OTA) upgrades
- Social sharing capabilities
- Meter speed display
- Device information reading
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1. Remote control and connection 2. Data transmission, collection, OTA upgrade, social sharing 3. The mobile phone APP realizes the display of the meter speed 4. Read device information
the hubbub
Transform your device into a beautiful, always-on display for essential information. Get real-time weather, transit times, and a clear clock without needing to interact with your phone. Designed for calm, focused daily awareness.
- Always-on display
- Customizable clock
- Real-time weather updates
- Live transit arrival times
- Landscape-first design
- No ads or tracking
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creating daily calm in the hubbub. the hubbub turns your phone or tablet into a beautiful always-on display console. Set it on your counter, nightstand, or shelf, and without ever picking it up, you'll know everything you need to move through your day. No scrolling. No rabbit holes. Just your information, always in view. Getting started takes two minutes. Tell us the lines you take and the direction you go and we find your nearby stations automatically. Enter your city or use your location for weather. That's it. What's on your display Clock A large, beautiful time display that auto-scales to fill your screen. Always on, always readable from across the room. Weather Current temperature, feels-like, and today's high and low. Enter your city or use your location. Updates every 30 minutes. Transit Times Live MTA subway and bus arrival times for your lines. Tell us your commute and we find the right stations automatically. Know when to leave without looking it up. Designed to live on your counter, not in your pocket. - Landscape-first: Optimized for horizontal viewing. Dock your phone on a stand and it becomes a beautiful home display. - Always on: The screen stays awake so your dashboard is ready every time you glance up. No tapping, no unlocking. - Your data, only: No ads, no tracking, no social feed. the hubbub shows your information and nothing else. Built for New York City. Live MTA data for subway lines across the five boroughs. More cities coming soon.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: the hubbub at 100% against Key's 0%. the hubbub also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). Key's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
the hubbub holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Key's written reviews are positive against 100% of the hubbub's.
Key ships an update every 6 months, the hubbub every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Key | the hubbub |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 266 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tianjin Key-Disp Technology Co.,Ltd | Time For Ventures LLC |
Customer experience
Key
the hubbub
In-app purchases
Key
No in-app purchases
the hubbub
No in-app purchases
