Comparison

Hive vs DofE

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

Head to head
About

Hive

Control your home's energy usage, from heating and EV charging to lighting and solar power, all from your smartphone. Save money and reduce your carbon footprint with smart scheduling, real-time tracking, and personalized insights.

Highlights
  • Smart heating control
  • EV charging management
  • Smart lighting and plugs
  • Solar energy generation and storage
  • Energy usage tracking and budgeting
  • Personalized dashboard
  • Smart actions and scheduling
Features
Read full description

SAVE MONEY AND ENERGY WITH HIVE From smart heating to EV charging and so much more, Hive makes it easy to cut costs and carbon – all from your smartphone. Already trusted by more than 2 million customers, our clever technology is changing the way homes use, store and generate energy for the better. So we can get Britain living more sustainably every day. INTRODUCING THE NEW HIVE APP Our better-than-ever app has even more features to make saving energy easier – all based on feedback from real Hive users. • Personalise your dashboard to show your most-used devices first for quicker control. • Track budgets, check your history and discover more ways to save with Trends. • Switch on your devices, set smart actions and control it all from the dashboard.   HIVE THERMOSTATS • Get everything you need to take control of your heating with the best-selling Hive Thermostat - or choose the Hive Thermostat Mini for all the benefits at an even more affordable price. • Set energy-saving schedules, boost the temperature and get alerts if you’ve accidentally left the heating on. • Save energy and protect your heating system with built-in features like Frost Protection and Holiday Mode. • Boost your control with smart Hive Radiator Valves and save by never heating a room you’re not using. • Upgrade to Hive Heating Plus for even more ways to save, including insight tools, budget tracking and personalised recommendations.   HIVE EV CHARGING • Make the switch to EV easier with Hive EV Charging, including a smart home charger, installation by British Gas and simple control via the Hive app. • Pair it with any British Gas electricity tariff to access SmartCharge – our revolutionary scheduling tool that automatically charges at the greenest and cheapest times. Then, get any money you’ve saved credited on your next bill. • Or if you’re a new customer, get exclusive access to FreeCharge for a year of free charging on us! • See how much you’re spending in the Hive app and get real-time updates when your car’s ready to go.   HIVE LIGHTS, SENSORS & PLUGS • Set the mood with a swipe and get light where you need it with our ultra-efficient bulbs. • Monitor power-hungry appliances with smart plugs, so you can see how much energy you’re using at any time. • Link your whole smart home together with Motion Sensors and get it saving energy without lifting a finger.   *NEW* HIVE SOLAR • Get everything you need to power your home with greener, renewable energy, including solar panels, home battery, expert installation and full app control. • Generate free green energy from the sun, store what you don’t use with a solar battery and sell any you don’t need back to the grid. • Pair it with the Hive Solar Saver tariff from British Gas and save hundreds on your energy bills. Discover more at hivehome.com

About

DofE

This app helps young people in the UK manage their Duke of Edinburgh's Award journey. Plan activities, record evidence, communicate with leaders, and submit your program for completion, all in one place. It also allows you to add your DofE Card to your digital wallet for exclusive discounts.

Highlights
  • Activity planning
  • Evidence recording
  • Leader communication
  • Program submission
  • Digital DofE Card
  • Gold Award application
Features
Read full description

If you’re a young person doing your DofE in the UK, this is the app for you. Whether you’re on your way to Bronze, Silver or Gold, the DofE app makes it easy to pick and plan your activities, connect to your Leader, complete your programme and achieve your Award. Once you’ve activated your eDofE account, use your details to log in to the app — and you’re ready to go. Use your DofE app to: - Get inspired about your activities - Plan your programme and get approval from your DofE Leader-Record evidence - Submit your programme for completion - Submit your Gold Award Presentation application form - Message your Leader - Add your personalised DofE Card to your digital wallet so you can make the most of your exclusive discounts. This app’s just for DofE participants. If you’d like to get involved, visit DofE.org.

Screenshots

Hive4 screens
DofE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Hive at 4.2 against DofE's 3.0. Hive also leads on ratings volume (785 vs 8) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hive holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hive has 785 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 18% of Hive's written reviews are positive against 21% of DofE's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Hive versus DofE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHiveDofE
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (785 ratings) — better3.0 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews18.4% of reviews20.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings785 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size197 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCentrica Hive LimitedThe Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Customer experience

Hive

All ratings785 ratings
Positive79.5%
Neutral4.6%
Negative15.9%
Written reviews1,778 reviews
Positive18.4%
Neutral10.8%
Negative70.8%

DofE

All ratings8 ratings
Positive37.5%
Neutral25.0%
Negative37.5%
Written reviews91 reviews
Positive20.9%
Neutral18.7%
Negative60.4%

Bugs and requests

Hive

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Devices randomly going offline
  • Heating/cooling schedules not working as expected
  • Camera live view and recordings not functioning properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • More granular scheduling controls
  • Better integration with smart home platforms
  • Improved camera functionality and recording

DofE

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Hive

No in-app purchases

None

DofE

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hive free?
Hive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DofE free?
DofE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hive or DofE?
Hive is rated higher. Hive averages 4.2 out of 5 from 785 ratings, while DofE averages 3.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Hive or DofE have ads?
Neither Hive nor DofE shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hive or DofE?
Hive ships an update every 3 weeks, and DofE every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hive was updated on September 24, 2026 and DofE on September 22, 2026.

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