Comparison

UtilityControl vs CTRL Micro

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

UtilityControl

Read full description

Track every utility meter – electricity, water, gas and heating – in one simple app. Log a reading in seconds, see your usage and costs in clear charts, and ask the AI assistant what is driving your bills. Made for homeowners, renters, landlords and property managers who want to understand their consumption and save money. LOG READINGS IN SECONDS • Add a meter reading with the date and time you took it • Electricity, water, gas, heating, cooling and custom meters • Any unit: kWh, m³, kW, BTU and more • Notes on every reading; edit or delete anytime SCAN YOUR METER Take a photo of the meter: the app reads its number and the reading on your phone, offline, and fills in the form for you to check. A meter you already have gets its reading; a new one is set up from the photo. Free plan: 3 scans a day. SEE WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES • Interactive charts for 24 hours, a week, a month, 3 months or a year • Daily usage and trends reveal spikes and waste • Cost per unit in your currency, with weekly and monthly totals ASK THE AI ASSISTANT Ask in plain language and get answers from your own data: • "How much did I spend on electricity last week?" • "What was my last water reading?" • "What does one kWh cost me?" SCAN YOUR UTILITY BILLS Take a photo or pick a PDF. Dates, amounts and usage are read automatically and linked to your meters, so you can check each bill against your readings. ALL YOUR PROPERTIES IN ONE PLACE • Organize meters by house, apartment, office, warehouse and more • A dashboard with every location and meter at a glance • Your data syncs between iPhone, iPad and the web dashboard YOUR DATA, YOUR CONTROL • Sign in with Apple, Google or e-mail • Encrypted connections; we never sell your data • Delete your account and all its data at any time, right in the app PLANS UtilityControl is free to start. Your current plan and remaining limits are shown in the app. Premium removes the limits on locations, meters, readings and meter scans – yearly or monthly, both with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. The subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel it in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://www.qlines.net/apps/utilitycontrol/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://www.qlines.net/terms-of-service Web Dashboard: https://www.qlines.net/apps/utilitycontrol

About

CTRL Micro

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a tactile control surface for your Mac and AI agents. Enjoy haptic feedback, launch apps, manage media, and interact with AI tools like Codex and Claude. Dictate text and view your Mac's screen remotely for a seamless workflow.

Highlights
  • Haptic feedback control deck
  • Launch Mac applications
  • Control Mac volume, brightness, media, windows
  • Monitor AI agent progress
  • Dictate into desktop apps
  • View Mac screen remotely
  • End-to-end encrypted connections
Features
Read full description

CTRL Micro turns your iPhone or iPad into a tactile control deck for your Mac and AI agents. HAPTIC CONTROL DECK • Feel responsive haptics, sounds, and visual feedback • Arrange controls where they feel right • Switch between Mac, Codex, Claude, and Cursor from one deck CONTROL YOUR MAC • Launch applications • Control volume, brightness, media, and windows • Move the pointer, scroll, click, run Shortcuts, and talk to Siri MONITOR AI AGENTS • See task progress and attention states at a glance • Open recent tasks and start new ones • Use client-specific controls for Codex, Claude, and Cursor SPEAK NATURALLY • Dictate into desktop apps from your deck • Transcription is processed locally by CTRL Micro Host on your Mac SEE YOUR MAC • Watch your Mac respond as you use the control deck, Trackpad, or Keyboard • Open Desktop View nearby or through Remote Anywhere • Keep the live screen above your controls or expand it full screen • Pinch, pan, and double-tap to inspect your Mac screen PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No CTRL Micro account required • Nearby connections stay directly between your devices • Remote Anywhere is end-to-end encrypted; the relay forwards opaque data and cannot read your screen or control content • Screen frames, keyboard input, commands, and dictation content are not recorded or stored CTRL Micro requires the separate CTRL Micro Host app for Mac, available from ctrlmicro.com. Pair your iPhone or iPad with one selected Mac and control it nearby or through Remote Anywhere.

Screenshots

UtilityControl4 screens
CTRL Micro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CTRL Micro at none against UtilityControl's 2. CTRL Micro also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 11 days). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. UtilityControl sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. CTRL Micro asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

UtilityControl ships an update every 11 days, CTRL Micro every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
UtilityControl versus CTRL Micro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUtilityControlCTRL Micro
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGanna ChepenkoMedHue Labs

In-app purchases

2 purchases

UtilityControl

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$34.991 Year
None

CTRL Micro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is UtilityControl free?
UtilityControl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CTRL Micro free?
CTRL Micro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do UtilityControl or CTRL Micro have ads?
Neither UtilityControl nor CTRL Micro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, UtilityControl or CTRL Micro?
UtilityControl ships an update every 11 days, and CTRL Micro every 3 days. Most recently, UtilityControl was updated on October 28, 2026 and CTRL Micro on October 31, 2026.

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