# FLIR Tools vs RIDGID Thermal

The clearest difference is update cadence: FLIR Tools at monthly against RIDGID Thermal's every 9 months. RIDGID Thermal's advantage is ratings volume (128 vs 19) and review sentiment (26% vs 18%). On price, rating, 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 1.8 for FLIR Tools against 1.8 for RIDGID Thermal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RIDGID Thermal has 128 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 18% of FLIR Tools's written reviews are positive against 26% of RIDGID Thermal's.

FLIR Tools ships an update monthly, RIDGID Thermal every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FLIR Tools | RIDGID Thermal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.8 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flir-tools/id511247887/reviews) | **[1.8 (128 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ridgid-thermal/id1275426885/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **128** |
| Positive reviews | 17.7% of reviews | **26.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 192 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FLIR Systems Aktiebolag](https://appshunter.io/developer/408612990) | [RIDGID Software Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/444491225) |

## What reviewers say

### FLIR Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flir-tools/id511247887)

This app allows professional thermographers to view and capture live infrared video and stills from select FLIR cameras on their mobile devices. It enables remote operation of cameras, data analysis, and report generation for thermal imaging inspections.

**Highlights:** Live infrared video streaming, Remote camera operation, Import and analyze thermal images, Measurement tools, Create and email reports, Image information display, Control camera settings

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📱 Works well with compatible cameras for image transfer
- 🎨 Good editing tools for thermal image analysis
- 📊 Useful for field reporting and client presentations
- 🔧 Spot temperature measurement and annotation features
- ⚡ Quick image review capability in the field

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔌 Persistent connection issues with cameras
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- 📉 Significant loss of features after updates
- 🚫 Limited device compatibility despite marketing
- ⚠️ Poor remote control functionality

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to detect cameras on same network
- Connection timeout errors when attempting to import
- App crashes when creating or exporting reports
- Freezing during image import process
- Device discovery never locates camera

**Requested features**

- Restore remote control capabilities for camera adjustment
- Enable bulk select-all and batch delete/save operations
- Add image editing features (palette, level, span adjustments)
- Restore multiple report templates and layout options
- Support for Bluetooth connectivity on older cameras


### RIDGID Thermal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ridgid-thermal/id1275426885)

Connect to Wi-Fi enabled thermal imagers to transfer, analyze, and organize thermal images on your smartphone or tablet.  Easily add measurements, annotations, and adjust color palettes before saving and sharing your findings.

**Highlights:** Wi-Fi image transfer, Thermal image analysis, Spot measurements, Image annotations, Temperature display, Color palette adjustment, Image sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works as intended (with hardware)
- 💡 Explains hardware requirement

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Requires external thermal camera
- 👎 App doesn't take photos
- 👎 App doesn't detect heat
- 👎 App is a scam
- 👎 App is useless without hardware

**Reported bugs**

- App connects to network without permission
- App requests location access
- App doesn't take photos
- App doesn't detect heat
- App shows pre-taken photos


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FLIR Tools free?

FLIR Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is RIDGID Thermal free?

RIDGID Thermal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FLIR Tools or RIDGID Thermal?

RIDGID Thermal is rated higher. FLIR Tools averages 1.8 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while RIDGID Thermal averages 1.8 from 128 ratings.

### Do FLIR Tools or RIDGID Thermal have ads?

Neither FLIR Tools nor RIDGID Thermal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FLIR Tools or RIDGID Thermal?

FLIR Tools ships an update monthly, and RIDGID Thermal every 9 months. Most recently, FLIR Tools was updated on November 1, 2026 and RIDGID Thermal on November 3, 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.*