Tesla vs Polestar
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tesla
Control and monitor your Tesla vehicle and energy products remotely. Manage charging, climate control, security, and navigation. Also track solar energy production and battery usage.
- Real-time charging status and control
- Remote climate control
- Vehicle lock/unlock and location tracking
- Navigation destination sending
- Summon vehicle
- Software updates
- Powerwall energy monitoring
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The Tesla app puts owners in direct communication with their vehicles and energy products anytime, anywhere. With this app, you can: - Check charging progress in real time and start or stop charging - Heat or cool your car before driving – even if it's in a garage - Lock or unlock from afar - Locate your vehicle with directions or track its movement - Send an address from your favorite apps to start navigation in your car - Allow your passengers to quickly control media - Flash lights or honk the horn to find your vehicle when parked - Vent or close the panoramic roof - Summon your vehicle out of your garage or a tight parking space (for vehicles with Autopilot) - Update your vehicle software from wherever you are - Engage with Powerwall: monitor how much energy is stored from solar, used by your home, or exported to the grid - Download your solar production and battery usage data Note: Powerwall features in this app require Powerwall 2 For more information about Tesla, visit www.tesla.com
Polestar
Manage your vehicle remotely, controlling climate, locks, and charging status. Access your owner's manual, book service, and stay updated on car software and news. Get support through live chat and FAQs.
- Remote climate control
- Door lock management
- Car location tracking
- Battery and charging status
- Software update notifications
- Owner's manual access
- Service booking
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Control your car Use the app to control in-car climate, door locks, locate your car, see battery and charging status, and keep track of software installations. Manage your car Get an in-depth overview of your car. Read the owner's manual, connect to your car, manage users and book service appointments. Stay up to date Get regular updates regarding your car and its software, or dive deeper into the world of Polestar through our news articles. Always supported Reach out to our support team, engage in live chats with our experts, and consult our FAQ section for assistance. Manage your experience View and manage your orders and Polestar ID, visit the car configurator and extras shop, and adjust app settings.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Tesla at 61% against Polestar's 32%. Tesla also leads on ratings volume (127K vs 3.5K) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Tesla holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tesla has 127K ratings behind it against 3.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Tesla's written reviews are positive against 32% of Polestar's.
Tesla ships an update every 2 weeks, Polestar every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.
| Parameter | Tesla | Polestar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (127K ratings) — better | 4.4 (3.5K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 60.6% of reviews — better | 32.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 127K — better | 3.5K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #18 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.0 GB | 221 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tesla, Inc. | Polestar |
Customer experience
Tesla
Polestar
User reviews
Tesla
From 127K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent integration with iOS
- 🔒 Secure keyless entry
- 👍 Comprehensive car controls
- 👍 Convenient remote access features
- 👍 Helpful for monitoring solar/battery system
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy connectivity and app crashes
- 🔋 High battery drain on mobile device
- 👎 Confusing or cluttered UI design changes
- 👎 Missing key functionality compared to previous versions
- 👎 Unreliable notifications and alerts
Polestar
From 3.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Basic functionality works
- 🚀 Improvements over time
- 💡 Dark mode addition
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent disconnects and sign-outs
- 🔍 Limited functionality compared to competitors
- ⏱️ Slow response times
- 🔒 Unreliable digital key
Bugs and requests
Tesla
Reported bugs
4 issues- Scheduled charging not working as expected
- Inconsistent connectivity between app and vehicle
- Incorrect data displayed for solar/battery system
- App failing to properly detect and notify power outages
Requested features
5 requests- Add ability to view and manage sentry mode/dashcam footage
- Improve scheduling and control options for charging and preconditioning
- Provide more detailed energy monitoring and analytics
- Allow customization of app interface and widget
- Integrate with Apple Watch for keyless entry
Polestar
Reported bugs
4 issues- Location data issues
- Charging status not updating correctly
- Compatibility problems with new iOS versions
- Frequent errors and crashes
Requested features
5 requests- Remote trunk/frunk access
- Adjustable climate control settings
- Charging status notifications
- Apple Watch app
- Integrations with iOS features (widgets, Siri)
In-app purchases
Tesla
No in-app purchases
Polestar
No in-app purchases
