Comparison

GridCarbon vs OctopusSwift

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

Head to head
About

GridCarbon

Monitor the real-time carbon intensity of the UK electricity grid. Understand how electricity generation sources change and identify times when using power is more environmentally friendly. Reduce your carbon footprint by shifting energy consumption to periods of lower grid emissions.

Highlights
  • Real-time carbon intensity updates
  • Traffic light indicator for intensity levels
  • Generation mix summary
  • 24-hour carbon intensity plot
  • Interactive generation mix chart
Features
Read full description

Track the carbon intensity of the GB electricity grid on your iPhone or iPad Demand for electricity varies throughout the day, and thus, the mix of generators supplying this electricity continually changes. As a result, the carbon intensity of the electricity – the quantity of CO2 produced for 1 kWh of electricity consumed – also varies continually. Deferring your use of electricity to off-peak times, when the carbon intensity is low, can help reduce your carbon footprint. Features: - Data updated every 5 minutes. - Display of instantaneous carbon intensity (gCO2/kWh). - Traffic light indicator to highlight period of low and high carbon intensity. - Generation mix summary showing total and percentage supply by type. - Line plot showing carbon intensity over the previous 24 hours. - Interactive bar chart showing the generation mix over the previous 24 hours.

About

OctopusSwift

Monitor your household's electricity usage and costs in real-time. See current and upcoming energy rates to identify the cheapest and most expensive times to use power, helping you save money and reduce environmental impact.

Highlights
  • Live electricity usage monitoring
  • Real-time cost estimates
  • Dynamic half-hourly rate display
  • Future rate forecasting
  • Identification of cheapest/peak times
Features
Read full description

OctopusSwift is the essential companion app for Octopus Energy users in the UK. With a clean, intuitive interface, you can monitor your household’s electricity usage live and track how much it’s costing you in real-time. Key Features: - Live Demand Monitoring: View current energy usage in watts, with live cost estimates. - Dynamic Pricing: See the current and upcoming half-hourly unit rates pulled directly from Octopus Energy, including the cheapest and most expensive times to use energy. - Future Rate Forecast: Plan your energy use around rate changes with a graph of upcoming prices. - Cheapest & Peak Rate: Easily identify the best and worst times to use power each day. Perfect for users on Agile or Tracker tariffs who want to maximise savings and minimise environmental impact. Built with Swift for speed and reliability, OctopusSwift puts the power of your energy data in your hands—literally.

Screenshots

GridCarbon3 screens
OctopusSwift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: GridCarbon at Free against OctopusSwift's $1.99. GridCarbon also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.5). OctopusSwift's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 76%). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

GridCarbon is free to download; OctopusSwift costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GridCarbon ships an update every 4 months, OctopusSwift weekly. The most recent releases landed on June 8, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
GridCarbon versus OctopusSwift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGridCarbonOctopusSwift
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating3.2 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlex RogersDafydd Thomas

Customer experience

GridCarbon

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive75.7%
Neutral10.8%
Negative13.5%

OctopusSwift

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

GridCarbon

No in-app purchases

None

OctopusSwift

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GridCarbon free?
GridCarbon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OctopusSwift free?
OctopusSwift costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do GridCarbon or OctopusSwift have ads?
Neither GridCarbon nor OctopusSwift shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GridCarbon or OctopusSwift?
GridCarbon ships an update every 4 months, and OctopusSwift weekly. Most recently, GridCarbon was updated on June 8, 2026 and OctopusSwift on September 22, 2026.

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