Hot Spring® Spas vs NextSense
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hot Spring® Spas
This app allows users to remotely control and monitor their hot tub's features, including water chemistry, lighting, temperature, and jet settings. It also provides access to an AI-powered support assistant and energy-saving modes.
- Monitor water chemistry (pH, chlorine, salt)
- Trigger water care dosing
- Adjust lighting, temperature, and jet strength
- Activate Clean Cycle or Energy Saving Mode
- Manage multiple spa locations
- AI-powered support assistant
Read full descriptionHide full description
Introducing the Reimagined Hot Spring® Spas App Total Control. Total Freedom. Enhance your FreshWater IQ experience with the Hot Spring Spas app, your digital spa companion that keeps you connected to your hot tub, wherever you are. With the app, you can: • Monitor pH, chlorine, and salt levels • Trigger water care dosing from your phone • Adjust lighting, temperature, and jet strength • Activate Clean Cycle or Energy Saving Mode • Manage a spa at a second home or rental property • Chat with your AI-powered support assistant—24/7 The Hot Spring Spas app is powered by the newly released Connected Spa Kit 2, a dealer-installed option available on all Highlife® and Limelight® Collection spas from 2024 onward, and Hot Spot® Collection spas from 2025 onward. Connected Spa Kit 2 delivers enhanced functionality and improved usability compared to the original Connected Spa Kit, which operates with the Hot Spring Spas Legacy app.
NextSense
This app works with brain-responsive earbuds to enhance sleep quality. It tracks brain activity to personalize audio, offering insights into sleep patterns and a gentle alarm. Integration with Apple Health provides further personalized data.
- Brainwave tracking for sleep depth
- Personalized audio for better rest
- Detailed sleep reports and trends
- Automatic audio pause when asleep
- Nap mode with timer and soundscapes
- Soothing sound library
- Gentle alarm with calming sounds
Read full descriptionHide full description
Introducing NextSense Smartbuds, the world’s first brain-responsive earbuds. Designed for everyday use, Smartbuds sense brain activity in real time and respond with audio that helps you rest deeper, center your mind, and stay sharp all day. The NextSense app is your companion to Smartbuds, giving you tools to personalize your audio experience and uncover meaningful insights into your daily and nightly rhythms. Pair your buds with the app to access dynamic soundscapes, launch sessions, and review trends. What you unlock with Smartbuds + the NextSense app Deeper Sleep See when your brain enters slow wave sleep, giving you a superior measure of sleep depth and recovery. Gentle pink noise enhances slow wave activity, leaving you more refreshed in the morning Focus Sessions Boost your focus with audio that gently nudges your brainwaves into a more alert state. Get recommendations on when to schedule deep work for peak performance. Meaningful Meditation Choose from brain-responsive and guided tracks that help you find your calm. Session summaries help you understand and improve your practice. Sleep Sync Your audio automatically pauses once sensors detect you’ve fallen asleep, so you’ll never lose your place in that audiobook. Nap Mode Reset midday with a nap session. Simply set a timer, choose a soundscape, and unwind. If you drift off, your nap is added to the day’s sleep total. Soothing Sound Library Choose from a collection of original soundscapes designed to give your brain exactly what it needs to meet the moment. Gentle alarm Ease into your morning with calming sounds that slowly build, delivered right through your Smartbuds. Personalized Insights Explore daily and long-term trends related total sleep time, wake-ups, sleep efficiency, and more. Privacy Policy and Terms of Service Learn more about how we handle your data and terms of use: Privacy Policy: https://nextsense.io/policies/privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://nextsense.io/policies/terms-of-service *Note: The NextSense app requires NextSense Smartbuds hardware. Apple Health integration - Reads date of birth, sex, heart rate, HRV, respiratory rate, VO2 max, sleep, weight, steps, exercise time, and time in daylight to personalize you insights, and audio experience. - Used only to improve your health and sleep experience, never for advertising or selling your data - Users can opt out or change permissions anytime in the Health app
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: NextSense at 4.7 against Hot Spring® Spas's 2.9. NextSense also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (50% vs 29%). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
NextSense holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NextSense has 85 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of Hot Spring® Spas's written reviews are positive against 50% of NextSense's.
Hot Spring® Spas ships an update every 3 months, NextSense every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hot Spring® Spas | NextSense |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.9 (10 ratings) | 4.7 (85 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 28.6% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 10 | 85 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 1.9 GB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Watkins Manufacturing Corporation | Lucid Reality |
Customer experience
Hot Spring® Spas
NextSense
In-app purchases
Hot Spring® Spas
No in-app purchases
NextSense
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Hot Spring® Spas free?
Is NextSense free?
Which has better reviews, Hot Spring® Spas or NextSense?
Do Hot Spring® Spas or NextSense have ads?
Which is updated more often, Hot Spring® Spas or NextSense?
Other comparisons
