Comparison

Linksys vs ARRIS SURFboard Manager

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

Head to head
About

Linksys

Manage your home WiFi network remotely from anywhere. Control connected devices, set up guest networks, and implement parental controls to manage internet access for children. Prioritize devices for better streaming and gaming performance, and enhance security against online threats.

Highlights
  • Remote WiFi access
  • Network dashboard
  • Guest network setup
  • Device prioritization
  • Network security features
  • Parental controls
Features
Read full description

This app is the command center for your Velop system and Linksys Smart WiFi routers. Use the Linksys app anywhere you have an internet connection to check connected devices, set up guest access, or keep your kids off the internet when they should be doing homework. KEY FEATURES • Remote Access – All you need is the internet. • Dashboard – Your WiFi's vital stats on one page. • Guest Access – Give friends internet access, but keep personal data secure. • Device Prioritization – Improve streaming and online gaming by giving WiFi priority to favored devices. • Network Security - Be proactive against network threats and malicious sites with Linksys Shield. • Parental Controls – Encourage kids' healthy internet behavior by pausing internet access. Privacy Policy: https://www.linksys.com/embed/lswf/en-us/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://www.linksys.com/embed/lswf/en-us/terms/ SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS* • Velop systems and Linksys Smart WiFi routers. Full list of supported routers: http://www.LinksysSmartWiFi.com/cloud/ustatic/mobile/supportedRouters.html • User account (created in the app or at http://www.LinksysSmartWiFi.com) connected to your Linksys product. • iOS 14.0 and greater For additional help, visit our support site at http://support.linksys.com

About

ARRIS SURFboard Manager

Manage and configure your ARRIS SURFboard® devices with this utility app. It facilitates onboarding and seamless transfer of settings to the new SURFboard Central app for supported models.

Highlights
  • Device management
  • Device configuration
  • Onboarding new devices
  • Seamless settings transfer
  • Supports specific ARRIS models
Features
Read full description

The ARRIS SURFboard® Manager app is being updated to SURFboard Central - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/surfboard-central/id1478418148 SURFboard Central will help you get the most of your device with new features, new UI and new experiences. We are excited to have our new and current customers shift over to SURFboard Central and have worked to make the transition as easy as possible. For our SBG8300/SBG10/SBG7580-AC / SBG6950AC2 / SBG7400AC2/ SBG7600AC2 customers: New customers - please start with SURFboard Central App for onboarding and managing your device. If you already completed onboarding, no worries - you will be prompted to seamlessly transfer all your information to the new App. Existing customers - with this update, you will be prompted to launch SURFboard Central that will seamlessly transfer your existing configuration and settings to the new App. For our legacy device users: SBR-AC3200P / SBR-AC1900P / SBR-AC1200P / SBX-AC1200P Stay Tuned - we will be updating our Mobile Application to support these devices. For now, please continue to use the ARRIS SURFboard® Manager App to manage and configure your devices.

Screenshots

Linksys4 screens
ARRIS SURFboard Manager4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Linksys at 4.7 against ARRIS SURFboard Manager's 1.3. Linksys also leads on ratings volume (99K vs 982) and review sentiment (20% vs 3%). ARRIS SURFboard Manager's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Linksys holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Linksys has 99K ratings behind it against 982, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of Linksys's written reviews are positive against 3% of ARRIS SURFboard Manager's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Linksys ships an update every 5 weeks, ARRIS SURFboard Manager every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Linksys versus ARRIS SURFboard Manager: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLinksysARRIS SURFboard Manager
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (99K ratings) — better1.3 (982 ratings)
Positive reviews20.0% of reviews — better3.2% of reviews
Number of ratings99K — better982
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB96 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLinksys USA, Inc.ARRIS Group, Inc.

Customer experience

Linksys

All ratings98,345 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews786 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral5.1%
Negative74.9%

ARRIS SURFboard Manager

All ratings965 ratings
Positive6.0%
Neutral1.9%
Negative92.1%
Written reviews124 reviews
Positive3.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative93.5%

User reviews

Linksys

From 99K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Reliable and light-weight
  • 🔒 Secure and easy to manage
  • 👍 Simple and effective interface
  • 👍 Helpful parental controls

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app
  • 🐛 Slow and unresponsive app
  • 🐛 Inconsistent device detection
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Inaccurate network information

ARRIS SURFboard Manager

From 982 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Works as expected
  • 🚀 Smooth setup process

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes frequently
  • 🔒 Security and privacy concerns
  • 👎 Difficult to use
  • 💤 Unresponsive and slow
  • 🤯 Completely non-functional

Bugs and requests

Linksys

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App frequently loses connection to router
  • Cannot reliably rename or manage connected devices
  • Parental controls settings randomly reset or malfunction
  • Inability to troubleshoot or diagnose network issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow device-specific parental controls
  • Add option to view network usage statistics
  • Improve app navigation and responsiveness
  • Provide more granular control over node settings
  • Implement dark mode and customization options

ARRIS SURFboard Manager

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unable to scan QR code
  • Login issues and lost connectivity
  • Inconsistent app behavior

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to reset password
  • Improved parental controls
  • Better device management

In-app purchases

None

Linksys

No in-app purchases

None

ARRIS SURFboard Manager

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Linksys free?
Linksys is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ARRIS SURFboard Manager free?
ARRIS SURFboard Manager is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Linksys or ARRIS SURFboard Manager?
Linksys is rated higher. Linksys averages 4.7 out of 5 from 99K ratings, while ARRIS SURFboard Manager averages 1.3 from 982 ratings.
Do Linksys or ARRIS SURFboard Manager have ads?
Neither Linksys nor ARRIS SURFboard Manager shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Linksys or ARRIS SURFboard Manager?
Linksys ships an update every 5 weeks, and ARRIS SURFboard Manager every 3 months. Most recently, Linksys was updated on November 7, 2026 and ARRIS SURFboard Manager on November 2, 2026.

Other comparisons