Comparison

Shellbee vs Thread Doctor

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

Head to head
About

Shellbee

Control and configure your Zigbee devices directly from your mobile device. Monitor network health, manage device settings, and update firmware with a native, cloud-free experience. Requires a running Zigbee2MQTT server.

Highlights
  • Real-time network map
  • Device control and configuration
  • Firmware updates with Live Activities
  • Multi-bridge support
  • Customizable Home screen
  • Offline device documentation
Features
Read full description

Your Zigbee network, in your pocket and on your iPad. Shellbee is a native app for Zigbee2MQTT. It connects straight to your bridge and gives you a fast, Apple-native way to watch, control and configure every device, with no cloud in between. REQUIRES A ZIGBEE2MQTT SERVER Shellbee is a client app. You need your own running Zigbee2MQTT instance and an access token. Local and remote setups both work. SEE EVERYTHING AT A GLANCE • A Home screen built from cards you choose and order: Bridge Health, Network, Link Quality, Batteries, Vendors and Activity. • Needs attention shows offline devices, low batteries and weak signal before you go looking. • A live Network Map of your whole mesh, with scan progress, filters and quick look (iPad). • An Activity Center that shows what your devices are doing as it happens. CONTROL AND CONFIGURE • Controls are generated from each device's Zigbee2MQTT exposes: lights, switches, covers, fans, locks, climate and sensors. • Every setting is grouped the same way on every device, using Zigbee2MQTT's own names. • Groups and scenes: browse, edit members, rename, drag devices in. • Favorites, filters and one search across devices, groups and the device library. • Bridge settings for MQTT, serial, network, OTA, logging, availability, Home Assistant and more. PAIR AND UPDATE WITH CONFIDENCE • Permit join and a step-by-step pairing guide with live progress. • Firmware updates with progress in Live Activities on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. • Offline device documentation for how to pair and what each device can do. MORE THAN ONE BRIDGE Connect several bridges at once and see them side by side. Each has its own colour and initial, and single-bridge users see nothing extra. MADE FOR IPHONE AND IPAD • Full iPad workspace with a sidebar, details side by side and extra windows. • Six colour themes: Standard, Honey, Meadow, Harbor, Lavender and Ember. • Real-time WebSocket connection over ws:// or wss://, with Bonjour discovery for .local hosts. • Built in SwiftUI with Live Activities, so it feels fast and native, not like a wrapped web page. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Talks only to the bridge you choose. No ads, no tracking, no analytics and no developer server. • Access tokens are stored in the iOS Keychain. • Crash reporting is optional and off by default. Nothing is sent unless you say so, and reports never include your bridge address, token or device names. OPEN SOURCE Shellbee is licensed under AGPL v3, with the source on GitHub.

About

Thread Doctor

Diagnose and visualize your smart home's Thread mesh network. Identify unresponsive devices, signal issues, and weak points to improve reliability. Offers live mesh graphs, device details, and battery monitoring.

Highlights
  • Live mesh graph visualization
  • Detailed device diagnostics
  • Weak point detection
  • Thread Leader identification
  • Battery monitoring
  • Scan history and export (Pro)
Features
Read full description

Thread Doctor maps and helps diagnose the Thread mesh used by your Matter accessories paired in the Home app. When devices go unresponsive, respond slowly, or keep dropping off the network, Thread Doctor helps you see what is happening: routers, end devices, Border Routers, signal quality, battery levels, and possible weak points in your mesh. It reads supported Matter and Thread diagnostic data directly from your paired accessories and lets you change supported Matter device settings. Changes happen only when you explicitly apply them. Available values and settings depend on each accessory, firmware version, and platform support. WHAT IT HELPS ANSWER • Why do my Matter accessories show “No Response”? • Which device may be a weak point in my Thread mesh? • Where should I add another Thread router? • Which battery-powered accessories need attention? • Why did my Matter clock lose the time after a power cut? FREE FEATURES • Mesh graph with routers, child devices, Border Routers, signal values, link quality, and router-child relationships. • Device details for supported Matter and Thread attributes, including RSSI, LQI, RLOC16, routes, neighbors, Leader Router ID, sleep behavior, battery level, error rate, uptime, and more. • Force Sync (time) — set a Matter accessory's clock; shows device time, drift, and time source. • Identify — ask an accessory to blink its light so you can physically find it. • Possible weak-point detection based on topology data available during the scan. • Thread Leader identification. • Battery monitoring and filtering. • Separate lists and detail cards for HomeKit-only accessories, Matter-over-Wi-Fi devices, and Thread devices that hide diagnostics. • Self-reported device faults — radio, network, and hardware faults read from each accessory's Matter General Diagnostics cluster. • Matter device configuration — change supported settings such as power-on behavior, transition times, sensor delays, thermostat controls, and more. PRO FEATURES • AI Diagnose Use your own third-party LLM API key to analyze a structured mesh snapshot. Preview the outbound payload before sending; analysis starts only when you tap Analyze. • Scan history Browse past scans, compare snapshots, and review previous network states. • Snapshot export Share the raw mesh as JSON for troubleshooting, research, social posts, or your own scripts. One-time unlock. No subscription. PRIVACY Thread Doctor is designed to work locally. • No backend, analytics, telemetry, accounts, or third-party SDKs. • Pro unlock is handled through the standard in-app purchase system. • Your LLM API key is stored only on-device in the system Keychain. • Matter diagnostics and configuration changes use native APIs. Settings change only when you explicitly apply them. • Optional AI Diagnose sends data only after you preview the payload and tap Analyze. REQUIREMENTS • iOS 18 or later • Matter accessories paired in the Home app • Wi-Fi connection to the same network as your Border Routers • Optional AI Diagnose requires your own third-party LLM API key NOT A WI-FI NETWORK SCANNER Thread Doctor does not scan Wi-Fi networks. It reads supported Matter and Thread diagnostic information from paired smart home accessories. Thread Doctor is an independent indie project. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any platform provider, standards organization, or accessory manufacturer. Full data-flow documentation: https://threaddoctor.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

Shellbee4 screens
Thread Doctor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shellbee at none against Thread Doctor's 1. Shellbee also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 days). Thread Doctor's advantage is ratings volume (32 vs 1). 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. Thread Doctor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shellbee asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shellbee holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thread Doctor has 32 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shellbee ships an update every 2 days, Thread Doctor every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Shellbee versus Thread Doctor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShellbeeThread Doctor
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.7 (32 ratings)
Positive reviews—83.3% of reviews
Number of ratings132 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.5 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKenneth BergKonstantin Rafikov

Customer experience

Shellbee

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Thread Doctor

All ratings27 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral7.4%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Shellbee

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Thread Doctor

One-time1
  • Thread Doctor Lifetime Pro$9.99

Questions

Is Shellbee free?
Shellbee is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Thread Doctor free?
Thread Doctor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shellbee or Thread Doctor?
Shellbee is rated higher. Shellbee averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Thread Doctor averages 4.7 from 32 ratings.
Do Shellbee or Thread Doctor have ads?
Neither Shellbee nor Thread Doctor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shellbee or Thread Doctor?
Shellbee ships an update every 2 days, and Thread Doctor every 6 days. Most recently, Shellbee was updated on October 31, 2026 and Thread Doctor on October 31, 2026.

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