# ABDi iCMS vs Hotwire Communications

The clearest difference is rating: ABDi iCMS at 5.0 against Hotwire Communications's 2.2. Hotwire Communications's advantage is ratings volume (51 vs 4) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

ABDi iCMS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hotwire Communications has 51 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

ABDi iCMS ships an update every 3 months, Hotwire Communications every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ABDi iCMS | Hotwire Communications |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abdi-icms/id400510738/reviews)** | [2.2 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotwire-communications/id1215470042/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **51** |
| Positive reviews | — | 17.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 31 MB | 113 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Applications by Design, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/400510741) | [Hotwire Communications, Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1215470041) |

## What reviewers say

### ABDi iCMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abdi-icms/id400510738)

This app streamlines visitor and contractor entry for communities by allowing access control officers to process individuals remotely. It ensures all entries are logged in the community's access control system, maintaining gatehouse protocols.

**Highlights:** Remote visitor and contractor processing, Maintains gatehouse protocols, Permanent database entry logging, Search tools, Integration with gate control and video capture, Voicemail module interface

**In-app purchases:** none


### Hotwire Communications

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotwire-communications/id1215470042)

Manage your internet and TV services, pay bills, and access entertainment features like channel lineups and TV Everywhere apps. Get support, view community announcements, and troubleshoot set-top box issues directly from your device.

**Highlights:** View channel lineup, Access TV Everywhere Apps, Manage account details, Pay bills and set up Auto-Pay, View payment history, Troubleshoot set-top box issues, Contact customer service

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good start to a new app
- 👍 Works well for some users
- 👍 Great access to account
- 👍 Helpful for remote replacement
- 👍 Developer response to issues

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Fails to load or open
- 🐛 Update issues (looping, not happening)
- 🐛 DVR/recording access removed or not working
- 🐛 Cannot watch content on mobile devices

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on opening
- Update loop: prompts to update but update doesn't happen
- Unable to fetch storage info
- Unable to fetch MDS Token
- Cannot watch recorded programs on mobile devices

**Requested features**

- Add back TV remote feature
- Add volume control to remote
- Improve mobile viewing/streaming capabilities
- Allow remote DVR viewing on any WiFi
- Add Apple Wallet support for payments


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ABDi iCMS free?

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

### Is Hotwire Communications free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ABDi iCMS or Hotwire Communications?

ABDi iCMS is rated higher. ABDi iCMS averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Hotwire Communications averages 2.2 from 51 ratings.

### Do ABDi iCMS or Hotwire Communications have ads?

Neither ABDi iCMS nor Hotwire Communications shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ABDi iCMS or Hotwire Communications?

ABDi iCMS ships an update every 3 months, and Hotwire Communications every 2 months. Most recently, ABDi iCMS was updated on October 23, 2026 and Hotwire Communications on November 2, 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.*