Comparison

Roku Smart Home vs ViewLink

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

Head to head
About

Roku Smart Home

This app allows you to manage all your Roku smart home devices from a single interface. Control cameras, lights, plugs, and more, with features like live monitoring, two-way audio, and customizable notifications. Set schedules and automate your home for convenience and security.

Highlights
  • Device setup and customization
  • Live camera monitoring
  • Two-way audio communication
  • Motion and sound notifications
  • Smart light control (color, brightness, presets)
  • Smart plug scheduling and remote control
  • Cloud storage for recordings (subscription)
Currently charting
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The simple way to a smarter home. The Roku Smart Home mobile app is the only smart home manager you need for your Roku Smart Home devices—indoor and outdoor home security cameras, video doorbells, smart bulbs, smart light strips, smart plugs, and more. Easily set up your smart home devices, customize your settings, and more all in the Roku Smart Home device manager. See all your devices in one place and group them to control your entire house at once. The Roku Smart Home mobile app is your one and only home camera app. With your smart home manager, you can easily set up Roku home security cameras and video doorbells and customize camera settings in a tap. Monitor your home from anywhere with the app—get instant motion or sound notifications when there’s activity, pull up live footage, and even have a chat with two-way audio. You can customize notifications and motion detection zones, so you only get the alerts you want. With a Roku Smart Home subscription, you can unlock cloud storage and view motion-triggered recordings for up to 14 days. Also included in the subscription is smart detection, which identifies people, pets, packages, and cars and allows you to filter alerts—so you only get the ones you decide are important.* Home security has never been this easy. Roku smart lights brighten up any space in your home with customizable LED bulbs and smart light strips. Your smart home manager also allows you to quickly and easily customize light settings for your smart bulbs and smart light strips with a tap. Change colors, save custom presets, adjust brightness, and create rules that put your lights on your schedule—even when you’re not home. With Roku smart plugs, control indoor lamps, outdoor holiday lights, or any compatible device remotely in the app. Customize your plug’s settings in your smart home manager to give your home power when you need it. Create custom schedules for your plugs to switch on or off. You’re in full control. When it comes to installing your smart home devices, your smart home manager makes setup a breeze. All Roku Smart Home products have a surprisingly simple guided setup in the Roku Smart Home mobile app. *Sign up for Roku Smart Home subscription by logging into your Roku account. Privacy Policy: go.roku.com/privacypolicy CA Privacy Notice: https://docs.roku.com/published/userprivacypolicy/en/us#userprivacypolicy-en_us-CCPA

About

ViewLink

Stay connected to your home with live 24/7 video streaming and activity alerts. Monitor children, pets, or home security remotely, and review recorded footage. Enjoy two-way audio and pan/tilt/zoom controls for a comprehensive view.

Highlights
  • Real-time video streaming
  • Two-way audio conversation
  • Motion detection alerts
  • Review recorded video
  • Pan, tilt, and zoom controls
  • HD video with night vision
Features
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The app works with ViewLink Camera, keeps you connected to your home from your phone anytime, anywhere. You can look after your parents and children, check in on your pets, or keep tabs on any abnormal intrusion at home with the ViewLink Camera. The app allows you to view your home in real time 24/7, and sends activity alerts to notify you of any unusual motion detected activity, you can even review the recorded video. App Features • Real-time video streaming from your camera to your phone • 2-way conversation and audio • Unusual motion detected activity • Review the recorded video • Pan, tilt, and zoom on your phone to see more details • HD video with both day and night vision • Manage your camera

Screenshots

Roku Smart Home4 screens
ViewLink4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ViewLink at none against Roku Smart Home's 6. ViewLink also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). Roku Smart Home's advantage is review sentiment (34% vs 0%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, rating 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. Roku Smart Home sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. ViewLink asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Roku Smart Home against 4.8 for ViewLink. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Roku Smart Home has 167K ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 34% of Roku Smart Home's written reviews are positive against 0% of ViewLink's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Roku Smart Home ships an update every 3 weeks, ViewLink every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Roku Smart Home versus ViewLink: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRoku Smart HomeViewLink
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (167K ratings)4.8 (22 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.7% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings167K — better22
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#201 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size264 MB195 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperROKU INCShenzhen Liangpu Technology LTD

Customer experience

Roku Smart Home

All ratings124,009 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews771 reviews
Positive33.7%
Neutral9.1%
Negative57.2%

ViewLink

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

Roku Smart Home

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Cameras randomly go offline
  • Recorded videos not saving properly
  • Notifications not working as expected
  • Camera settings resetting unexpectedly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add option to auto-delete recorded events
  • Allow playback of recorded videos without subscription
  • Improve video quality adjustment options
  • Add ability to rearrange camera order in the app

ViewLink

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Roku Smart Home

Subscriptions6
  • 1 Cam Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Cam Monthly 2$7.991 Month
  • Cam plus plan monthly$9.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • 1 Cam annual$39.991 Year
  • 1 Cam annual$79.991 Year
  • Cam plus plan yearly$99.991 Year
None

ViewLink

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Roku Smart Home free?
Roku Smart Home is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ViewLink free?
ViewLink is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Roku Smart Home or ViewLink?
ViewLink is rated higher. Roku Smart Home averages 4.7 out of 5 from 167K ratings, while ViewLink averages 4.8 from 22 ratings.
Do Roku Smart Home or ViewLink have ads?
Roku Smart Home shows ads; ViewLink does not.
Which is updated more often, Roku Smart Home or ViewLink?
Roku Smart Home ships an update every 3 weeks, and ViewLink every 6 months. Most recently, Roku Smart Home was updated on October 30, 2026 and ViewLink on October 24, 2026.

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