Comparison

Public Service Solar vs Smart Shade Control

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

Head to head
About

Public Service Solar

Features
Read full description

Track your installation process in real time, monitor your solar energy production and consumption once your system has been installed, earn money by referring your friends and family, open a new support ticket or update your account details with the Public Service Solar app. It's a key piece for any homeowner going solar with Public Service Solar.

About

Smart Shade Control

Effortlessly manage your smart window shades with direct local control. Automate opening and closing based on schedules, sunrise/sunset, or your location. Integrate with Siri and Shortcuts for hands-free operation and create custom scenes.

Highlights
  • Direct Matter/Thread pairing
  • Local cloud-free operation
  • Sunrise/sunset automation
  • Geofence triggers
  • Siri and Shortcuts integration
  • Customizable scenes
  • Usage analytics
Features
Read full description

Take complete control of your window shades. No cloud account, no subscription, no third-party login required. Smart Shade Control pairs directly with your shades over Matter and Thread using Apple's native HomeKit framework, keeping everything private and local on your device. Simple, Secure Pairing: Add your shades in seconds by scanning the QR code on each motor. Smart Shade Control uses Apple's native HomeKit commissioning over your local Thread network. Your shades are never routed through the cloud. Compatible with Canisteo, Eve, Aqara, Zemismart, and other window covering brands that support Matter over Thread. Powerful Automation: Set your shades on a schedule, or let the sun decide. Smart Shade Control calculates local sunrise and sunset times without any internet connection, so your shades can open with the morning light and close at dusk automatically, every day. Fine-tune each event with a custom offset up to two hours before or after sunrise or sunset. Location-Based Triggers: Arriving home? Your shades can be waiting at your preferred position before you walk through the door. Leaving? Close everything automatically. Geofence automations run quietly in the background with no manual interaction required. Siri and Shortcuts: Control your shades hands-free. Say things like "Open all shades in Smart Shade Control" or "Close the Living Room shade" using Siri. Build multi-step automations in the Shortcuts app using any Smart Shade Control action including open, close, set position, and activate a scene. Scenes: Save your favorite shade configurations as named scenes such as Morning, Movie Night, or Working From Home, and activate them with a single tap or a Siri command. Usage Analytics: See exactly how your shades have been used with beautiful charts. Track position history over time, daily activity patterns, and a breakdown of what triggered each operation including manual, schedule, scene, automation, or Siri. Home Screen and Lock Screen Widgets: Glance at your shade positions without opening the app. The home screen widget shows up to three shades at once, while the lock screen widget displays a position gauge right on your Lock Screen. Designed for Privacy: Everything runs on your device and your local home network. No account creation, no data collection, no analytics sent anywhere. Your home stays yours. What You Need: iPhone running iOS 17 or later Window shades with Matter over Thread support, such as Canisteo (Deyi Smart), Eve MotionBlinds, Aqara Roller Shade Driver E1, Zemismart, or ZINGREE A Thread Border Router on your home network such as a HomePod mini, HomePod 2nd gen, or Apple TV 4K 2nd or 3rd gen Apple Home app set up on your iPhone.

Screenshots

Public Service Solar4 screens
Smart Shade Control4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Public Service Solar at none against Smart Shade Control's 1. Public Service Solar also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.6). Smart Shade Control's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 9 months). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Smart Shade Control sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Public Service Solar asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Public Service Solar ships an update every 9 months, Smart Shade Control monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Public Service Solar versus Smart Shade Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPublic Service SolarSmart Shade Control
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPublic Service SolarGary Cox

In-app purchases

None

Public Service Solar

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Smart Shade Control

One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro Access$4.99

Questions

Is Public Service Solar free?
Public Service Solar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Smart Shade Control free?
Smart Shade Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Public Service Solar or Smart Shade Control have ads?
Neither Public Service Solar nor Smart Shade Control shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Public Service Solar or Smart Shade Control?
Public Service Solar ships an update every 9 months, and Smart Shade Control monthly. Most recently, Public Service Solar was updated on October 30, 2026 and Smart Shade Control on October 31, 2026.

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