# Hive vs Counta

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hive at none against Counta's 2. Counta's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Counta sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Hive asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hive ships an update fortnightly, Counta every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hive | Counta |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (817 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hive/id712829172/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **817** | — |
| Positive reviews | 18.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 247 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Centrica Hive Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1171162560) | [TimTom Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896714683) |

## What reviewers say

### Hive

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

Manage your home's energy consumption, from heating and lighting to EV charging and solar power, all from your smartphone. Save money and reduce your carbon footprint with intelligent scheduling and real-time insights.

**Highlights:** Personalized dashboard, Energy saving schedules, EV charging control, Smart lighting and plugs, Solar power management, Budget tracking and insights

**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


### Counta

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/counta-countdown-and-save/id6770090810)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Counta Unlimited | $1.99 | per month |
| Counta Unlimited Annual | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hive free?

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

### Is Counta free?

Counta is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Hive or Counta have ads?

Neither Hive nor Counta shows ads.

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

Hive ships an update fortnightly, and Counta every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hive was updated on November 3, 2026 and Counta on October 25, 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.*