Comparison

Nest vs Arlo Secure

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

Head to head
About

Nest

Control your smart home devices, including thermostats, security systems, cameras, and smoke detectors, all from a single app. Receive alerts, manage schedules, and automate actions based on your presence.

Highlights
  • Remote thermostat control
  • Arm/disarm security system
  • Live camera feeds
  • Smoke/CO alerts
  • Automated actions
  • Visitor notifications
Currently charting
Read full description

At Google Nest, we make products that are beautiful, helpful and easy to use. The Nest app is no exception. Control your Nest thermostat, arm and disarm your Nest Secure alarm system, see your home with Nest Cam, and get an alert if Nest Protect goes off – all in one place. And receive notifications on your iPhone or iPad. Nest uses sensors, algorithms and the location of your phone to do the right thing automatically, turning off the heat and turning on the camera when you leave. Forget to set the alarm? It will notice, and send you a Remind Me alert. Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest Thermostat E Thermostats that program themselves to help you save energy. - Change the temperature from the subway or the sofa using your phone. - See how much energy you used, and why. - View and edit your schedule. - Get extreme temperature alerts before your home gets too cold. Nest Secure alarm system - Arm and disarm your home remotely from the app. - Receive a Remind Me alert if you leave home and forget to set the alarm. - Receive a security alert on your phone telling you what triggered the alarm – a door or window opening, or someone entering a room. Nest Protect The smoke and carbon monoxide alarm that thinks, speaks, and alerts your phone. - Get an alert if Nest Protect senses smoke or carbon monoxide. (Requires Wi-Fi and a working internet connection.) - Silence an alarm from your phone with App Silence. (Nest Protect 2nd gen only.) - See the status of your batteries, sensors, and Wi-Fi connection. - Run a Safety Checkup to test all your alarms at once. (Nest Protect 2nd gen only.) - See your Safety History so you know when alerts happened and why. Nest Cam IQ Indoor and Outdoor, Nest Cam Indoor, Nest Cam Outdoor, and Dropcam The security cameras that let you see your home on your phone, inside and out. - Get alerts when there’s activity, and talk back to get someone’s attention. - See what you missed with snapshots of the last three hours. - Check in 24/7 with crisp 1080p HD video (Nest Cam and Dropcam Pro only). - Get person alerts (or familiar face alerts with Nest Cam IQ) and up to 30 days of video history when you subscribe to Nest Aware. (Subscription service sold separately.) Nest Hello Know who’s knocking. - 24/7 video streaming means you’ll never miss a moment. - Designed to show you everything at your doorstep – people head to toe, or packages on the ground. - Knows the difference between a person and a thing. - Notifies you about visitors, even if they don’t ring the bell. - HD Talk and Listen lets you have a seamless conversation with someone at your door. - When you can’t answer the door, quick responses let you reply to visitors with prerecorded audio messages. Nest x Yale Lock The lock for a more secure connected home. - Instead of sharing keys, assign passcodes to people you trust in the Nest app. - Get an alert when someone locks or unlocks the door. - With Home/Away Assist and Auto-Lock, your door can lock itself when you leave. Some features require a working internet connection, Wi-Fi, and/or Bluetooth.

About

Arlo Secure

Manage your smart home security system, including cameras and video doorbells, from anywhere. Receive alerts, view live feeds, and access 24/7 live security experts for enhanced protection. Customize activity zones and schedules for personalized security.

Highlights
  • Remote system control
  • Live video streaming
  • 24/7 live security experts
  • Customizable activity zones
  • Interactive motion alerts
  • Emergency Response feature
Features
Read full description

Control your Arlo smart home security system with one, easy-to-use app. Use the Arlo Secure App to protect your home, inside and out, with Arlo’s award-winning home security system, video doorbells, cameras, and floodlight. Protect your everything and personalize your entire home security system. With the Arlo Secure App, you can control multiple locations at once and quickly arm or disarm your system with one tap. Get round-the-clock protection with 24/7 Live Security Experts that will monitor your home, so you don’t have to or use one tap Emergency Response to quickly get police, fire, or medical help to your home.* Easily customize your security by creating smart activity zones to reduce unwanted notifications and set schedules to arm or disarm your system. See important details from your home security camera system with up to 4K resolution, 12X zoom image capabilities, and color night vision. When motion is detected, receive interactive notifications on your phone and watch an animated preview, call a friend, activate a siren, or initiate Emergency Response.* With an Arlo Secure plan and an Arlo camera, video doorbell, or floodlight camera, you can view 30 days of video history, receive notifications that tell you when a person, package, vehicle, or animal has been spotted with advanced AI Object Detection. Disclaimers: *Emergency Response (available in the United States only), Object Detection and Video History require an Arlo Secure paid plan after trial period. **4K resolution, 12X zoom image capabilities, color night vision, and Emergency Response features vary by camera model. Privacy Policy: https://www.arlo.com/en-us/about/privacy-policy/ Terms of Service: https://www.arlo.com/en-us/terms-and-conditions.html

Screenshots

Nest4 screens
Arlo Secure4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Nest at none against Arlo Secure's 10. Nest also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). Arlo Secure's advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 24%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price and monetization model 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. Arlo Secure sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Nest asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Nest holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nest has 2.6M ratings behind it against 429K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 24% of Nest's written reviews are positive against 56% of Arlo Secure's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nest ships an update every 2 months, Arlo Secure weekly. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Nest versus Arlo Secure: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNestArlo Secure
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (2.6M ratings) — better4.2 (429K ratings)
Positive reviews24.4% of reviews56.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.6M — better429K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#89#10 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size240 MB819 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNest LabsArlo Technologies Inc.

Customer experience

Nest

All ratings2,564,294 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral3.2%
Negative6.4%
Written reviews4,651 reviews
Positive24.4%
Neutral9.5%
Negative66.1%

Arlo Secure

All ratings426,894 ratings
Positive79.7%
Neutral5.5%
Negative14.8%
Written reviews14,164 reviews
Positive56.3%
Neutral7.3%
Negative36.5%

User reviews

Nest

From 2.6M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🔒 Reliable security features
  • 📽️ Good video quality
  • 🔔 Useful alerts and notifications
  • 🌐 Convenient remote access

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent connectivity issues
  • ⏱️ Slow app performance
  • 🔒 Overly complex setup and login process
  • 💰 Expensive subscription required for full functionality
  • 🔋 Battery life issues with cameras

Arlo Secure

From 429K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Clear video quality
  • 🔒 Provides security and peace of mind
  • 👍 Easy to set up and use
  • 🔋 Good battery life

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues and cameras going offline
  • 🕰️ Slow app response and video loading
  • 💰 Expensive hardware and subscription model
  • 🔔 Overly sensitive motion detection and false alerts

Bugs and requests

Nest

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inconsistent home/away detection
  • Thermostat schedule resets unexpectedly
  • Smoke detector false alarms
  • Camera feed freezes or fails to load

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved scheduling and automation options
  • Better integration with other smart home devices
  • More customization options for alerts and notifications
  • Offline viewing and recording capabilities

Arlo Secure

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Camera firmware issues causing malfunctions
  • App freezing and logging users out unexpectedly
  • Inconsistent motion detection and recording
  • Syncing issues between multiple devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Customizable notification sounds and volumes
  • Ability to view recordings from specific cameras
  • Improved geofencing and automation features
  • Better integration with smart home platforms

In-app purchases

None

Nest

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Arlo Secure

Subscriptions10
  • Smart Aware Single$9.991 Month
  • Basic Single$9.991 Month
  • Basic Unlimited$14.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Smart Aware$19.991 Month
  • Smart Secure$29.991 Month
  • Plus Single$95.991 Year
  • Basic Single$99.991 Year
  • Basic Unlimited$149.991 Year
  • Smart Aware$219.001 Year
  • Premium$299.991 Year

Questions

Is Nest free?
Nest is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Arlo Secure free?
Arlo Secure is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Nest or Arlo Secure?
Nest is rated higher. Nest averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.6M ratings, while Arlo Secure averages 4.2 from 429K ratings.
Do Nest or Arlo Secure have ads?
Arlo Secure shows ads; Nest does not.
Which is updated more often, Nest or Arlo Secure?
Nest ships an update every 2 months, and Arlo Secure weekly. Most recently, Nest was updated on November 7, 2026 and Arlo Secure on November 7, 2026.
Which is more popular, Nest or Arlo Secure?
Nest currently peaks at #89 in the App Store charts, and Arlo Secure at #10. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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