# SEM vs Viewu

The clearest difference is rating: Viewu at 5.0 against SEM's 3.4. Viewu also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 38%) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). SEM's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On price, ratings volume, 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.

Viewu holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of SEM's written reviews are positive against 71% of Viewu's.

SEM ships an update every 2 weeks, Viewu every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and June 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SEM | Viewu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sem-meter/id6468902139/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viewu/id6502717790/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 37.5% of reviews | **70.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 31 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hangzhou Dashi Wisdom Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1822219570) | [Matthew Ehrhart](https://appshunter.io/developer/1746564587) |

## What reviewers say

### SEM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sem-meter/id6468902139)

This utility app monitors your household power consumption in real-time, providing historical data and comparisons to help you save on electricity bills. It supports managing multiple devices and customizing electricity fee calculations.

**Highlights:** Real-time power usage monitoring, Historical energy use tracking, Second-to-second, day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month, and year-to-year comparisons, Electricity fee gradient calculation, Customizable fee templates, Multiple device management

**In-app purchases:** none


### Viewu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viewu/id6502717790)

Monitor and manage your Frigate security system with this open-source iOS app. View live camera streams, review past events on an intuitive timeline, and receive customizable push notifications. It offers seamless integration with Frigate Video NVR for enhanced home or office security.

**Highlights:** Event timeline navigation, Live RTSP stream viewing, Customizable push notifications, Frigate NVR integration, Privacy-focused data handling, Community-driven development

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SEM free?

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

### Is Viewu free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SEM or Viewu?

Viewu is rated higher. SEM averages 3.4 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Viewu averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do SEM or Viewu have ads?

Neither SEM nor Viewu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SEM or Viewu?

SEM ships an update every 2 weeks, and Viewu every 3 days. Most recently, SEM was updated on September 9, 2026 and Viewu on June 22, 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.*