Comparison

IOTExplorer vs Sentinel

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

Head to head
About

IOTExplorer

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IOTExplorer — Zero-Configuration IoT Device Discovery for iOS & iPadOS Instantly discover and manage every IO-TEQ device on your network from your iPhone or iPad. IOTExplorer uses intelligent UDP broadcast scanning to find devices the moment they come online — no manual setup, no IP addresses to remember, no configuration files to maintain. Whether you're checking a few sensors in the field or managing an IoT fleet on the go, IOTExplorer gives you a mobile-first experience purpose-built for iOS and iPadOS. REAL-TIME DISCOVERY & MONITORING IOTExplorer continuously scans your local network, detecting devices as they appear, tracking IP changes, monitoring firmware versions, and reporting online/offline status in real time. Reachability is determined by subnet — so you always know which devices are on your network. TWO VIEW MODES • Grid — Card-based layout for quick visual scanning  • List — Sortable, filterable list for fast device lookup BUILT-IN NETWORK DIAGNOSTICS No need to switch to another app. IOTExplorer includes tools right inside:  • Ping with latency results  • Port scanner for TCP connectivity (HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, Telnet, Modbus)  • Reachability test for instant connectivity checks DEVICE MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION • Favorites for quick access to frequently used devices  • Find Me to physically locate devices with visual/audio indicators  • Temporary IP assignment for field configuration  • Network configuration (IP, subnet, gateway, DHCP) for supported devices  • Device history — chronological log of discovery, updates, disappearances, and network changes OPTIMIZED FOR IPAD On iPad, IOTExplorer uses a split-view layout: device list on the left, detail panel on the right. Multi-column grids and adaptive layouts make it easy to work with many devices on a larger screen. DEEP iOS INTEGRATION IOTExplorer is built with SwiftUI and feels right at home on your device:  • Native tab navigation (Discover, Favorites, History)  • Pull-to-refresh for manual discovery refresh  • Search and filter by device type  • System, Light, and Dark mode support  • Local Network permission for discovery SUPPORTS 11 IO-TEQ DEVICE FAMILIES IOT-PCM, IOT-AT, SPX5-MODBUS, IOT-DI-600, IOT-DURO-1, IOT-eqOS, IOT-IPS-GTW, IOT-IPS-ANCHOR, IOT-BB, IOT-EIO, and IOT-IRIS — each with tailored actions and capabilities (Find Me, Temp IP, Web, Net Config where supported).

About

Sentinel

An AI-assisted platform for investigators and security professionals to gather, verify, and structure intelligence from public and government sources. It helps identify confirmed findings, uncertainties, and next verification steps.

Highlights
  • AI-assisted intelligence gathering
  • Public and government source research
  • Automated wanted and sanctions screening
  • Entity resolution and image forensics
  • Case management and field notes
  • Professional reporting with branding
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Know more before making contact. Sentinel is an AI-assisted Field Intelligence Platform for investigators and security professionals who need more than search results. Finding information is only the beginning. Professional intelligence starts with verification. Sentinel combines broad public-source research with publicly available government, law-enforcement, regulatory, and international sanctions data, then helps structure what the evidence supports, what remains uncertain, and what to verify next. AI THAT SUPPORTS THE ANALYST Intelligence and security organizations increasingly use AI to sort, connect, and summarize large volumes of information. Sentinel brings that approach to field professionals, with one rule: AI does the first pass, the professional makes the call. - Field Brief: wanted and sanctions results, risk flags, identity confidence, and the top checks before contact, in seconds - Full Analysis: confirmed findings, possible associations, contradictions, information gaps, and source references - Web Brief: live web research written into a source-cited summary, combined with what Sentinel has already found Sentinel's AI states what it cannot verify, treats a name match as unverified until identity is confirmed, and never merges different people into one identity because they share a name or username. AI analysis is powered by Anthropic's Claude models. START WITH ONE IDENTIFIER Begin with a name, phone number, email, company, vehicle, domain, IP address, or location. Sentinel routes the research, organizes findings, and identifies gaps. 130+ PUBLIC SOURCES. ONE WORKFLOW. Automated wanted and sanctions screening against FBI, Interpol, OFAC, UN, EU, BIS, and Canadian lists, plus guided research across 130+ public sources. A check that cannot run is marked unavailable, never shown as a clean result. EVIDENCE PROVENANCE Finding → Source → Verification Status → Professional Decision. Mark findings Confirm, Reject, or Review. ENTITY RESOLUTION & IMAGE FORENSICS Map relationships between people, phones, emails, companies, addresses, vehicles, and domains with calibrated confidence. Analyze images for metadata, error level, compression and hidden-data indicators, without declaring an image authentic or manipulated from a single indicator. CASE & FIELD INTELLIGENCE Cases, AI field note analysis, voice dictation, timelines, maps, tasks, Watch List change detection, and saved Field Briefs. PROFESSIONAL REPORTING Investigator, Executive Summary, Due Diligence, and Client-Ready PDF reports with sources, methodology, limitations, and your own branding (Pro). LOCAL-FIRST PRIVACY Case data stays on your device, encrypted with AES-256-GCM, with keys in the iOS Keychain. Auto-lock, device integrity checks, and Wipe All Data, which also destroys the encryption keys. No ads. No tracking. AI requests pass through Sentinel's server, which does not store your search terms or AI responses. PLANS Essential and Pro use the same sources, methodology, and security. Pro adds capacity and advanced reporting. - Essential: 20 AI analyses and 20 Web Briefs per month, 10 searches per day - Pro: 100 AI analyses and 50 Web Briefs per month, unlimited searches, all report types and branding Monthly subscriptions through Apple. Cancel anytime in your Apple account settings. 7-DAY FREE TRIAL No card required, and the trial never converts to a paid plan on its own. It includes 5 Field Briefs, 1 other AI analysis, 1 Web Brief, and 5 searches per day. Full Analysis requires Essential or Pro. WHAT SENTINEL IS NOT Sentinel is not a people-search or background-check service and does not sell personal records. It is for lawful professional research. Not a consumer reporting agency; not for employment, tenant, credit, insurance, or other eligibility decisions. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sentinelosint.github.io/sentinel-privacy/

Screenshots

IOTExplorer4 screens
Sentinel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: IOTExplorer at none against Sentinel's 2. IOTExplorer also leads on update cadence (daily vs weekly). Sentinel's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.2). 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. Sentinel sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month. IOTExplorer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IOTExplorer ships an update daily, Sentinel weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
IOTExplorer versus Sentinel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIOTExplorerSentinel
PriceFreeFree
Rating—3.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyDaily — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.215.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB43 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperAngel ObertoEija Huttunen

In-app purchases

None

IOTExplorer

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Sentinel

Subscriptions2
  • Sentinel Solo$29.991 Month
  • Sentinel Pro$79.991 Month

Questions

Is IOTExplorer free?
IOTExplorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sentinel free?
Sentinel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do IOTExplorer or Sentinel have ads?
Neither IOTExplorer nor Sentinel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IOTExplorer or Sentinel?
IOTExplorer ships an update daily, and Sentinel weekly. Most recently, IOTExplorer was updated on October 1, 2026 and Sentinel on October 14, 2026.

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