# AQS vs SmartEAR

The clearest difference is update cadence: AQS at every 5 weeks against SmartEAR's every 3 months. SmartEAR's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

AQS ships an update every 5 weeks, SmartEAR every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AQS | SmartEAR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Size | 70 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aquarius-Spectrum](https://appshunter.io/developer/1613033707) | [Megger Germany GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1436339687) |

## What reviewers say

### AQS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aqs-sys-app/id1613033435)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### SmartEAR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartear-go/id1620565806)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AQS free?

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

### Is SmartEAR free?

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

### Do AQS or SmartEAR have ads?

Neither AQS nor SmartEAR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AQS or SmartEAR?

AQS ships an update every 5 weeks, and SmartEAR every 3 months. Most recently, AQS was updated on September 14, 2026 and SmartEAR on September 13, 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.*