# Hive vs PistonHeads

The clearest difference is rating: PistonHeads at 5.0 against Hive's 4.2. PistonHeads also leads on review sentiment (33% vs 18%). Hive's advantage is ratings volume (802 vs 1) and device support (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence, 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.

PistonHeads holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hive has 802 ratings behind it against 1, 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 33% of PistonHeads's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hive | PistonHeads |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (802 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hive/id712829172/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pistonheads/id6740866155/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **802** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 18.5% of reviews | **33.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 200 MB | 121 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Centrica Hive Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1171162560) | [CarGurus](https://appshunter.io/developer/814517478) |

## 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


### PistonHeads

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pistonheads/id6740866155)

Discover, buy, and sell performance, premium, and collectible cars. Explore listings with advanced search filters, participate in auctions, and engage with a community of car enthusiasts through forums and news.

**Highlights:** Performance car marketplace, Car auctions, Advanced search filters, Saved search notifications, Car news and reviews, Car enthusiast forums, Exclusive competitions

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hive free?

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

### Is PistonHeads free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hive or PistonHeads?

PistonHeads is rated higher. Hive averages 4.2 out of 5 from 802 ratings, while PistonHeads averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Hive or PistonHeads have ads?

Neither Hive nor PistonHeads shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hive or PistonHeads?

Hive ships an update fortnightly, and PistonHeads fortnightly. Most recently, Hive was updated on October 15, 2026 and PistonHeads on October 7, 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.*