ClearVu vs Reolink
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ClearVu
Access live and recorded video from your security system on your Apple device. View multiple cameras, connect to several recorders, and save footage remotely. Easy setup makes remote viewing simple.
- View live camera feeds
- Connect to multiple NVRs
- Review recorded footage
- Save image snapshots
- Easy port forwarding
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Defender ClearVu allows you to view your Defender 22800+ series NVR using your Apple device from anywhere in the world. The app allows you to: • Watch multiple cameras live feeds • Connect to multiple NVRs to view up to 32 cameras • Review recorded footage saved on your NVR from scheduled recordings or motion based recordings • Save image snapshots to you phone • Easy 1-Step™ Port Forwarding allows you to connect to your NVR without any extra work! Prerequisites: • A High Speed internet connection and router (not included) are required. • An internet connection providing an upload speed of 1Mbps is recommended for the best video performance
Reolink
Easily access and monitor your security cameras and NVRs from anywhere. Watch live streams, playback recordings, and receive real-time motion detection alerts. Enjoy peace of mind with a user-friendly interface for home and business surveillance.
- Remote camera and NVR access
- Live streaming
- Video recording playback
- Motion detection alerts
- Multi-channel viewing
- PTZ camera control
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Reolink App is an easy-to-use security camera system surveillance app. It enables you to locally or remotely access your IP cameras and NVRs on mobile devices. You can monitor and watch live streaming of your home and business anywhere and anytime. It helps you easily get peace of mind. Key Features: 1. Only 3 steps to access cameras and NVRs (at the same local network) --- the easiest solution ever. 2. Easy and friendly interface for all users to use. 3. Remotely monitor and watch live streaming via 3G/4G or WiFi anywhere and anytime. 4. Multi-channel viewing (up to 16 channels) on screen at the same time. 5. Remotely playback video recording from your camera SD card and NVR HDD. 6. Capture video from live view channels on your mobile device to playback. 7. Capture single and multiple images to save on your mobile device. 8. Get emails or push notifications in real time when motion detection is triggered. 9. Schedule video recording (including motion-triggered recording) at anytime. 10. Control PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras remotely (left, right, up and down). Note: Reolink App is compatible with NVRs and IP Cams from Reolink. More Supports: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReolinkTech/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReolinkTech Contact: https://reolink.com/contact-us/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEHKZX6fFVtWd4tnnRkzrMA
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Reolink at 4.0 against ClearVu's 1.9. Reolink also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (9.3K vs 59). ClearVu's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Reolink holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reolink has 9.3K ratings behind it against 59, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of ClearVu's written reviews are positive against 25% of Reolink's.
ClearVu ships an update every 8 months, Reolink fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ClearVu | Reolink |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.9 (59 ratings) | 4.0 (9.3K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.2% of reviews | 25.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 59 | 9.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #146 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 469 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Empowerment Technologies Inc. | Reolink Digital Technology Co., Ltd |
Customer experience
ClearVu
Reolink
User reviews
ClearVu
From 59 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Works great (when it works)
- 👍 Instant camera access
- 👍 Remote playback available
- 👍 Multiple screen options
- 👍 Real-time view
Room to improve
- 🐛 Constantly crashing
- 🐛 Fails to connect
- 🐛 "Limited Authority" message
- 🐛 Slow loading times
- 🐛 App discontinued/unsupported
Reolink
From 9.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Works well when connected
- 📸 Good camera quality
- 💰 Affordable price
- 🔒 Secure system
- 🔌 Wired and wireless options
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues, especially remotely
- 🔋 Battery drain and charging problems
- 🕰️ Slow motion detection and playback
- 🔍 Unreliable motion detection
- 📱 Subpar app experience
Bugs and requests
ClearVu
Reported bugs
19 issues- App crashes constantly
- App fails to connect
- "Limited Authority" error message
- Slow loading of live view
- App shuts down unexpectedly
Show 14 moreShow fewer
- Cameras don't auto-load
- Playback feature freezes
- Requires re-adding devices after updates/crashes
- Remote viewing not working
- Last week of the month not available for playback
- Calendar days disappear in playback
- Update broke the software
- Stopped working after iOS update
- App doesn't stay connected
- Bad Update iOS 1.0.2 crashes on opening
- Icons are confusing and need labels
- Unused camera slots add clutter
- App only works on the same wifi network
- Playback takes too much work to look back
Requested features
15 requests- Update the app
- Fix connection issues
- Add motion detection alarm
- Make compatible with latest phones/OS
- Improve playback features
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Add iPad version
- Allow sharing videos via email/text
- Add manual control of PTZ cameras
- Improve UI/navigation
- Support remote viewing when not on same network
- Add alert for motion detection
- Allow viewing more than one camera at a time in playback
- Fix live view to show cameras on app open
- Allow downloading videos from remote playback to computer
- Add Apple Watch compatibility
Reolink
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes after updates
- Inability to change passwords
- Cameras disconnecting randomly
- Playback issues and failures
- Inconsistent performance across devices
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to pause/snooze notifications
- Customizable notification sounds
- Landscape mode support on tablets
- Consolidated event history across cameras
- Faster/smoother video playback controls
In-app purchases
ClearVu
No in-app purchases
Reolink
No in-app purchases
