VB SmartControl vs Axon
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
VB SmartControl
This app connects to Motorola body-worn cameras, allowing users to view live feeds, tag footage, and manage recordings directly from their smartphone. It includes a viewfinder to help with camera placement and requires specific firmware versions for optimal performance.
- Connects to VB400 and V500 body cameras
- View live camera feed (ViewFinder)
- Tag video footage
- Manage recordings on mobile device
- WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity
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VB SmartControl is the companion smartphone app for the Motorola Solutions VB400 and V500 body-worn cameras. The app connects to the camera using WiFi and Bluetooth, enabling operators to view and tag video directly on their mobile devices. The ViewFinder feature allows you to see what your camera sees, to assist when mounting your camera. Note: VideoManager (VideoManager EX in North America) and device firmware must be: 16.1.0 or later for VB400 devices (VB400V3 hardware revision or later); 24.4.1 or later for V500 devices.
Axon
This app allows public safety professionals to securely manage digital evidence and records on the go. It streamlines workflows, enables field evidence review, and facilitates secure community evidence submission. Users can also write and search records directly from their mobile devices.
- Evidence management (search, playback, metadata)
- Records management (write, submit, search)
- Secure evidence submission from community members
- Field evidence review and analysis
- Dictation support for report writing
- Biometric security integration
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Public safety professionals need tools that are as mobile as they are. The Axon app was built so law enforcement officers and supervisors can securely view and manage their digital evidence and records anytime, anywhere. The intuitive interface includes a homepage dashboard with quick links to evidence that is missing an ID or category. Officers can use the app to complete evidence workflows while in the field, increasing agency efficiency and data compliance, as well as improving officer satisfaction. Officers can review evidence in the field after the incident, providing investigators with the ability to gain a more complete perspective on how events unfolded. They can also use the app to initiate digital evidence collection by inviting witnesses to submit their photos and videos directly to the agency, ensuring a clean chain of custody. Agencies using Axon Records additionally benefit from the ability to write, submit, and search records from the Axon app. Their homepage dashboard also includes pending records tasks, as well as a quick link to create a new record. FEATURES INCLUDE: - Evidence management (DEMS): search, playback, manage metadata - Records management (RMS): search, write, continue/edit, submit, review - Axon Evidence user permissions maintained across desktop and mobile - Homepage dashboard that highlights missing data (plus pending tasks for RMS users) - Integration with the device’s biometric security - Dictation support (talk-to-text) for report writing - Ability to request evidence from a community member - Secure access - all data remains in the cloud with no local storage NOTE: Your agency must have a subscription to Axon Evidence or Axon Records to benefit from this app. Not an Axon customer? Contact us at axon.com/contact.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: VB SmartControl at free against Axon's subscription. VB SmartControl also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). Axon's advantage is ratings volume (1.3K vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
VB SmartControl holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Axon has 1.3K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
VB SmartControl ships an update every 3 months, Axon every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | VB SmartControl | Axon |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.8 (1.3K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 44.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 75 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Motorola Solutions, Inc | Axon Enterprise, Inc. |
Customer experience
VB SmartControl
Axon
In-app purchases
VB SmartControl
No in-app purchases
Axon
No in-app purchases









