# Abode vs Starling Home Hub

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Starling Home Hub at 83% against Abode's 23%. Starling Home Hub also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.2) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.6). Abode's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Abode sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Starling Home Hub sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Starling Home Hub holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.9K and 2.2K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Abode's written reviews are positive against 83% of Starling Home Hub's.

Abode ships an update every 6 weeks, Starling Home Hub every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Abode | Starling Home Hub |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (4.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abode/id828260682/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starling-home-hub/id1617003623/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.9K** | 2.2K |
| Positive reviews | 23.4% of reviews | **83.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 258 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Abode Systems, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/828260685) | [Starling LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1617003625) |

## What reviewers say

### Abode

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abode/id828260682)

Control your home security system remotely. Arm and disarm your system, view live and recorded video, and receive instant alerts. Automate your home with custom actions and notifications, all from your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Arm & disarm system, View live & recorded video, Receive security alerts, Home automation, Customizable notifications, System setup & expansion, Timeline event filtering

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Single Camera | $3.99 | per month |
| Standard Plan | $8.49 | per month |
| 24/7 Recording | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro Plan | $26.99 | per month |
| Single Camera | $34.99 | per year |
| Standard Plan | $79.99 | per year |
| 24/7 Recording | $109.99 | per year |
| Pro Plan | $249.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent security system
- 👍 Easy to install and set up
- 🔒 Reliable monitoring and notifications
- 💡 Flexible automation and integration options
- 🚀 Smooth and user-friendly app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable camera connectivity and performance
- 🔋 Inconsistent geofencing and location services
- 💸 Paywall for basic features and notifications
- 🐛 Buggy app with frequent crashes and issues
- 👎 Poor customer support and responsiveness

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Inconsistent device connectivity and offline issues
- Inaccurate sensor and alarm notifications
- Incompatibility with certain Wi-Fi network configurations

**Requested features**

- Improved HomeKit integration
- More customization options for sensors and automations
- Better battery life indicators and management
- Ability to rename devices within the app


### Starling Home Hub

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starling-home-hub/id1617003623)

This application allows users to set up, configure, and receive support for their smart home hub. It enhances the user experience with their connected devices.

**Highlights:** Set up smart home hub, Configure smart home devices, Get support for hub, Manage connected devices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starling Protect | $7.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and easy setup
- 👍 Great integration between Google and Apple
- 👍 Excellent for Nest products
- 👍 Best Google Nest bridge for HomeKit
- 👍 Seamless integration with Apple Home

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Firmware updates causing issues
- 🐛 Connectivity problems and disconnections
- 🐛 Limited to Nest/Google Home devices only
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with iOS updates

**Reported bugs**

- Firmware updates deleting connected devices
- Inability to downgrade firmware
- Automatic updates causing issues
- Connectivity problems after iOS updates

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Expanded device compatibility


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Abode free?

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

### Is Starling Home Hub free?

Starling Home Hub is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Abode or Starling Home Hub?

Starling Home Hub is rated higher. Abode averages 4.2 out of 5 from 4.9K ratings, while Starling Home Hub averages 4.8 from 2.2K ratings.

### Do Abode or Starling Home Hub have ads?

Neither Abode nor Starling Home Hub shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Abode or Starling Home Hub?

Abode ships an update every 6 weeks, and Starling Home Hub every 5 months. Most recently, Abode was updated on October 26, 2026 and Starling Home Hub on October 27, 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.*