# Public Service Solar vs Smart Shade Control

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.

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

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Public Service Solar | Smart Shade Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-shade-control/id6765481489/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 6 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Public Service Solar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1808989527) | [Gary Cox](https://appshunter.io/developer/1083086974) |

## What reviewers say

### Public Service Solar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/public-service-solar/id6744705407)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Smart Shade Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-shade-control/id6765481489)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Pro Access | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*