Pool Control + vs Ping!
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Pool Control +
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App created for monitoring pH and Rx pumps installed in your swimming pool. Simple and user-friendly app that allows you to view the values of measurements, dosing and alarms in real time. Historical measurement charts up to 30 days.
Ping!
Instantly alert your family to your needs and location with a single tap. Customize your button's message and choose between a visible countdown or a discreet, silent alert. Ideal for quick check-ins or urgent requests.
- One-tap family alerts
- Live location sharing
- Customizable button messages
- Visible countdown or discreet alert
- Apple Watch integration
- Widgets and controls
- Data-minimal and private
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Tell your family you need them with a single tap. Ping! is one big, friendly button for a small, private family circle. Tap on it โ and everyone in your group instantly knows what's up and where you are. No typing, no explaining: your reason and your live location are already attached. From your iPhone and right from your Apple Watch. YOUR BUTTON, YOUR MESSAGE Everyone in the group sets what their own button says โ from a template or your own text and emoji: โข "Please pick me up" โข "Breakdown โ come over" โข "I need help" The reason is sent word for word, along with a push notification and a map where the others see you live and can navigate to you. HOW IT WORKS 1. Create a private group or join with an invite code (whoever manages the group approves you) 2. Set up your button once โ what should it say? 3. Tap the button: a friendly 5-second countdown runs (visible, with a gentle sound, cancelable). Pressed by accident? Just cancel. 4. Your group is notified instantly โ with your reason and your location in real time 5. Someone taps "I'm coming" โ everyone sees who's on the way 6. Done: you end the ping with a tap (or it ends automatically after one hour) ONE BUTTON โ NORMAL OR FULLY DISCREET A short tap starts the visible countdown with a gentle two-tone chime (even on a silent iPhone) and vibration โ so an accidental tap is noticed at once, a good safeguard especially for older relatives. Holding the button for 3 seconds sends immediately and discreetly: only quiet haptic ticks, no sound, no countdown โ for moments when no one nearby should notice. Both ways send the same ping with your live location. GETS THROUGH โ EVEN ON A MUTED IPHONE A ping reaches your family even when their iPhone is muted or a Focus is on. Just allow "Critical Alerts" once โ the app will ask. FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY โข Kids who want to be picked up โ one button is enough โข Older relatives: big, simple, no menus โข On the go: a breakdown, a hike, the walk home at night โข Any small, fixed group that looks out for each other โ everyone can ping, and everyone decides when they can help SEVERAL GROUPS, YOUR DAYS You can be in several groups โ family and neighbours, say โ and for each one you decide whether your Ping goes there and whether you help there. Under "When can you help?" you choose the days your phone rings out loud; on the other days the Ping arrives quietly. If nobody answers, it rings out loud after all. And if nobody else can help, it rings out loud right away. For a holiday there's "I'm taking a break" โ then Pings only arrive quietly. FROM YOUR WRIST You can trigger straight from the Apple Watch, no iPhone in hand. Plus Widgets and Controls so your button is always within reach. BUILT TO BE ACCESSIBLE So anyone can take part: VoiceOver-ready, large tap targets, tactile haptics and high contrast. DATA-MINIMAL โ YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS Ping! needs no accounts, no email, no phone number. Your location is shared only during an active ping โ and deleted automatically afterwards. No tracking, no ads, no selling your data. Hosted on our own servers in Germany. IMPORTANT NOTE Ping! is not an emergency app and not a replacement for official emergency numbers (112 in Europe, 911 in the US) โ nor a medical alert service with a monitoring centre; availability and delivery are not guaranteed. Ping! helps you reach the people you trust, fast โ no more, no less. Buy once, no subscriptions. Works with Family Sharing.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Pool Control + at Free against Ping!'s $8.99. Pool Control + also leads on iOS requirement (12.2 vs 16.0). Ping!'s advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 30 months). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Pool Control + is free to download; Ping! costs $8.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Pool Control + ships an update every 30 months, Ping! every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pool Control + | Ping! |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free โ better | $8.99 |
| Positive reviews | โ | 100.0% of reviews |
| Update frequency | Every 30 months | Every 2 days โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | โ | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 โ better | 16.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 83 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Microdos srl | BLUE BOX - Productions |
In-app purchases
Pool Control +
No in-app purchases
Ping!
No in-app purchases









