# Hive vs ADT Smart Services

The clearest difference is monetization model: Hive at free against ADT Smart Services's paid. Hive also leads on ratings volume (791 vs 21) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Hive holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hive has 791 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Hive's written reviews are positive against 13% of ADT Smart Services's.

Hive ships an update every 2 weeks, ADT Smart Services every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hive | ADT Smart Services |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (791 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hive/id712829172/reviews)** | [4.0 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adt-smart-services/id1478425347/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **791** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | **18.4% of reviews** | 13.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 197 MB | 384 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Centrica Hive Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1171162560) | [ADT Fire and Security PLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/966906731) |

## What reviewers say

### Hive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hive/id712829172)

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:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔒 Secure system
- 👍 Convenient remote control
- 👍 Integrates well with Alexa and Google

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connectivity issues
- 🐛 Unreliable app performance
- 🐛 Scheduling problems
- 🔋 High battery drain on devices
- 👎 Paywall for basic features

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

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


### ADT Smart Services

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adt-smart-services/id1478425347)

Remotely control and monitor your home security system. Receive instant alerts for security or safety events, and view live video streams from your cameras. Customize scenarios to fit your lifestyle and automate actions like turning on lights.

**Highlights:** Remote alarm control, Instant security alerts, Customizable scenarios, Automated lighting control, Intelligent motion detection, Live video streaming

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface (when working properly)
- 📱 Remote access to arm/disarm system
- 📹 Camera and doorbell integration
- 🔔 Real-time notifications and alerts
- ⚙️ Automation features like geofencing and schedules

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Extremely slow app performance and loading times
- 📹 Doorbell video loads too slowly to catch visitors
- 🔌 Frequent connection and synchronization issues
- 🐛 App crashes and freezes regularly
- 🔐 Unreliable authentication and login problems

**Reported bugs**

- App takes 5+ minutes to arm/disarm alarm
- Doorbell video fails to load before visitor leaves
- Connection timeouts and frequent disconnections
- Verification codes not arriving for login
- New user codes not syncing with keypad

**Requested features**

- iOS 18 widget support restoration
- Bi-weekly and monthly access scheduling options
- Smaller time increment options (less than 30 minutes)
- Better notification management and filtering
- Apple Home and Matter compatibility


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hive free?

Hive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ADT Smart Services free?

ADT Smart Services is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hive or ADT Smart Services?

Hive is rated higher. Hive averages 4.2 out of 5 from 791 ratings, while ADT Smart Services averages 4.0 from 21 ratings.

### Do Hive or ADT Smart Services have ads?

Neither Hive nor ADT Smart Services shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hive or ADT Smart Services?

Hive ships an update every 2 weeks, and ADT Smart Services every 2 months. Most recently, Hive was updated on September 27, 2026 and ADT Smart Services on September 21, 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.*