Ghost Controls vs Ion SmartHome
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ghost Controls
Control your automatic gate opener remotely. Open, close, check status, and receive alerts. Schedule gate activity and grant access to others. Requires a compatible control board and the AXMC-R module.
- Remote gate open/close
- Gate status monitoring
- Open/close alerts
- Customizable schedules
- Grant remote access
- Diagnostic data sharing
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The Ghost Controls smart app allows you to easily open, close, check the status of, and help diagnose your automatic gate opener. This app supports all Ghost Controls gate openers that has the AXMC-R module installed. Please note that the AXMC-R module is a separately purchased accessory that does not come standard in standard Ghost Controls Kits. Additional Features: • Setup open and close alerts • Create schedules to open and/or close your automatic gate opener • Grant access to remote users • Select user connection type of Bluetooth or Wifi • View and Send diagnostics data to Ghost Controls to help reduce troubleshooting time For Ghost Controls Smart App control you will need: • A Ghost Controls control board with MultiConnect onboard • Connection to Bluetooth or Wifi To upgrade your existing Ghost Controls control board to one compatible with MultiConnect please visit www.ghostcontrols.com for more information.
Ion SmartHome
Manage and personalize your home's comfort system remotely. Set custom schedules, monitor energy usage, and receive real-time alerts for optimal home environment control.
- Remote Control
- Smart Schedules
- Energy Insights
- Real-Time Alerts
- Personalized Comfort
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Ion SmartHome is your go-to app for managing and personalizing your home’s comfort experience! With a sleek, intuitive design and enhanced features, Ion SmartHome makes it easier than ever to control your compatible Ion system remotely, set customized schedules, monitor energy use, and get real-time alerts to ensure your home is always just the way you like it. Key Features: • Remote Control: Adjust temperature, humidity, and settings from anywhere. • Smart Schedules: Create custom schedules to match your routine and save on energy costs. • Energy Insights: Track usage trends to optimize efficiency. • Real-Time Alerts: Receive notifications if anything needs attention, from filter changes to unexpected system performance. With Ion SmartHome, we’re redefining what home comfort means. Download now and enjoy complete control at your fingertips! This app is compatible with iPhone iOS 15.1 or later.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Ion SmartHome at 3.8 against Ghost Controls's 2.9. Ion SmartHome also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 8 months) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Ghost Controls's advantage is review sentiment (33% vs 10%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.
Ion SmartHome holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ion SmartHome has 223 ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of Ghost Controls's written reviews are positive against 10% of Ion SmartHome's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Ghost Controls ships an update every 8 months, Ion SmartHome fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ghost Controls | Ion SmartHome |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.9 (26 ratings) | 3.8 (223 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews — better | 9.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 26 | 223 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 61 MB | 191 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Assemblabs Ltd | International Comfort Products Corporation |
Customer experience
Ghost Controls
Ion SmartHome
Bugs and requests
Ghost Controls
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Ion SmartHome
Reported bugs
2 issues- Unable to turn unit on/off
- Humidity settings not updating properly
Requested features
3 requests- Add HomeKit integration
- Improve remote access and control capabilities
- Provide better visibility into system status and performance
In-app purchases
Ghost Controls
No in-app purchases
Ion SmartHome
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Ghost Controls free?
Is Ion SmartHome free?
Which has better reviews, Ghost Controls or Ion SmartHome?
Do Ghost Controls or Ion SmartHome have ads?
Which is updated more often, Ghost Controls or Ion SmartHome?
Other comparisons
