apiALARM vs ReferenceFrame
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
apiALARM
Manage your home or business security, locks, lights, and video cameras from a single application. Receive intelligent alerts, view live video feeds, and automate daily routines for comprehensive protection against crime, fire, and environmental hazards.
- Remote property control
- Intelligent alerts & live video
- Automate security routines
- Control locks and lights
- Two-way audio via doorbell camera
- Manage multiple business locations
- Respond to alarm events
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Keep your home or business connected, protected and one step ahead with a.p.i. ALARM'S mobile app. Connect your security, locks, lights, video cameras and more through a single app that protects you from crime, fire, carbon monoxide and even water damage. One app for your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch makes it easy to: * Remotely control your entire property * Know what’s going on with intelligent alerts and live video feeds * Automate your daily security routine and other repetitive tasks apiALARM is fully supported on your Apple Watch. So, accessing your system is as easy as checking the time. Note: apiALARM requires a compatible system and an interactive a.p.i. ALARM service plan. Feature availability varies based on system, equipment and specific service plan. Visit apialarm.com for more information. Some of apiALARM’s Home Features: * Control your security panel, locks and lights from anywhere * Receive customizable alerts when people arrive and leave or when there’s unexpected activity * Watch live and recorded video from your cameras * Talk to visitors through your doorbell camera and unlock your door Some of apiALARM’s Business Features: * Arm/disarm your security panel across multiple locations * Receive alerts if a location opens late or an employee access a restricted area * Video alerts based on specific types of activity * Automate lights, locks and thermostats * Track and manage access to multiple locations * Buzz open access controlled doors * Respond to alarm events and alert emergency personnel
ReferenceFrame
This app calculates all necessary dimensions for custom picture framing, including mat cuts and material depths. It ensures your artwork fits within the frame's rabbet and generates a detailed cut list and technical diagram. Works offline and supports various measurement units.
- Calculates frame, mat, and cut dimensions
- Checks artwork fit within rabbet
- Generates technical cross-section diagrams
- Exports PDF summary
- Saves configurations and design history
- Supports inches (with fractions) and millimeters
- Works entirely offline
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ReferenceFrame does the math for custom picture framing. Enter your artwork size and frame stock dimensions, and it sorts out mat cuts, rabbet clearances, material stack depths, and a complete cut list. WHAT IT DOES - Calculates frame, mat, and cut dimensions from your artwork size - Checks that everything actually fits in the rabbet (and tells you when it won't) - Generates a technical cross-section diagram with labeled dimensions - Plans corner spline slots: placement and safe depth for your molding - Lays out hanging hardware: hanger positions, wire length, and where the hook lands - Estimates finished weight and wire tension from real wood, glass, and board densities - Exports a PDF summary you can take to the workshop - Saves configurations and keeps a history of your designs DETAILS - Inches (including fractions) or millimeters - Traditional rabbet or sight-size (full-bleed) frame styles - "Cut to fit" sizes that honor assembly clearance - Standard and custom artwork sizes - Adjustable defaults for frame stock, mat width, material thicknesses, and more - Works entirely offline — nothing leaves your device Built for anyone who's ever needed to know exactly how wide to cut a mat, and would rather not find out the hard way that they were off by an eighth.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: apiALARM at Free against ReferenceFrame's $4.99. apiALARM also leads on ratings volume (15 vs 1). ReferenceFrame's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On 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
apiALARM is free to download; ReferenceFrame costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ReferenceFrame holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: apiALARM has 15 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
apiALARM ships an update every 2 months, ReferenceFrame every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | apiALARM | ReferenceFrame |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (15 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 27.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 15 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 375 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | a.p.i. ALARM Inc. | Graham Larue |
Customer experience
apiALARM
ReferenceFrame
In-app purchases
apiALARM
No in-app purchases
ReferenceFrame
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is apiALARM free?
Is ReferenceFrame free?
Which has better reviews, apiALARM or ReferenceFrame?
Do apiALARM or ReferenceFrame have ads?
Which is updated more often, apiALARM or ReferenceFrame?
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