# Hive vs North Pembs Open Studio

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hive at fortnightly against North Pembs Open Studio's every 5 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Hive ships an update fortnightly, North Pembs Open Studio every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hive | North Pembs Open Studio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (814 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hive/id712829172/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **814** | — |
| Positive reviews | 18.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 200 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Centrica Hive Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1171162560) | [Alan Davies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1872591317) |

## 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


### North Pembs Open Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/north-pembs-open-studio/id6799367068)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hive free?

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

### Is North Pembs Open Studio free?

North Pembs Open Studio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Hive or North Pembs Open Studio have ads?

Neither Hive nor North Pembs Open Studio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hive or North Pembs Open Studio?

Hive ships an update fortnightly, and North Pembs Open Studio every 5 weeks. Most recently, Hive was updated on October 30, 2026 and North Pembs Open Studio on October 29, 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.*