HomeGuru vs Viewu
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HomeGuru
Control your home's lights and appliances with this app designed for SmartLinc INSTEON controllers. View and manage configured scenes, sending on, off, or fade commands directly from your device. It offers a faster and more user-friendly experience than web interfaces.
- Control lights and appliances
- View and manage scenes
- Send on, off, and fade commands
- Automatic device support
- User-friendly interface
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If you have a SmartLinc INSTEON controller from SmartLabs (part #2412N, not an INSTEON Hub), HomeGuru is the perfect way to control your home's lights and appliances. It allows you to view a list of all configured scenes in your house, view their status and control them by sending on, off or fade commands to them. It is much quicker and friendlier than using the web interface to the device, especially if you use authentication. HomeGuru supports all the devices the SmartLinc knows about automatically, no further configuration is necessary. IMPORTANT: HomeGuru supports SmartLinc firmware version 3.0 (iPhone 2.0). It is known to work with 2.8 without device status. (To check your version, look for Firmware Version under the General Settings.) Make sure you have a supported version before purchasing. If you have communication problems with your SmartLinc, please contact us for assistance or send an error report under your controller in settings.
Viewu
Monitor and manage your Frigate security system with this open-source iOS app. View live camera streams, review past events on an intuitive timeline, and receive customizable push notifications. It offers seamless integration with Frigate Video NVR for enhanced home or office security.
- Event timeline navigation
- Live RTSP stream viewing
- Customizable push notifications
- Frigate NVR integration
- Privacy-focused data handling
- Community-driven development
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Discover the ultimate way to monitor and manage your Frigate security with Viewu, the free, open-source iOS app that seamlessly integrates with Frigate Video. Whether you're keeping an eye on your home, office, or any other important location, Viewu offers robust features to keep you connected and informed. Key Features: - Event Timeline: Easily view and navigate through past events with an intuitive timeline. - Live RTSP Streams: Watch live camera feeds directly from your iOS device for real-time monitoring. - Customizable Notifications: Set up and control push notifications to stay alerted to specific events. - Frigate Integration: Support for Frigate versions 13, 14, 15, and 16 ensuring compatibility and smooth operation. - Privacy First: Your data is yours alone. Viewu does not collect or store any user information, ensuring your privacy is always protected. Viewu is designed with the community in mind. As a community-driven project, it evolves based on user feedback, ensuring it meets your needs and expectations. With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, Viewu makes security management accessible to everyone. Become a part of the Viewu community and help shape the future of the app. Your feedback and feature requests drive our development. Note - Viewu app only supports Frigate Video NVR and no others.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Viewu at 4.5 against HomeGuru's 3.7. Viewu also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 months). HomeGuru's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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.
Viewu holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of HomeGuru's written reviews are positive against 71% of Viewu's.
HomeGuru ships an update every 4 months, Viewu every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HomeGuru | Viewu |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (3 ratings) | 4.5 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.6% of reviews | 70.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 8 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 63 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | zenwheel | Matthew Ehrhart |
Customer experience
HomeGuru
Viewu
In-app purchases
HomeGuru
No in-app purchases
Viewu
No in-app purchases









