# HCA vs Tearline by NGA

The clearest difference is rating: HCA at 4.7 against Tearline by NGA's 3.6. HCA also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 44%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

HCA holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 9 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of HCA's written reviews are positive against 44% of Tearline by NGA's.

HCA ships an update every 4 months, Tearline by NGA every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HCA | Tearline by NGA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hca/id869907178/reviews)** | [3.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tearline-by-nga/id1201916437/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **9** |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 44.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 15 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Advanced Quonset Technology, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1200893792) | [National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency](https://appshunter.io/developer/935822508) |

## What reviewers say

### HCA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hca/id869907178)

Control your home's lighting, thermostat, and automation devices remotely. Monitor sensors, trigger programs, and manage keypads. Uses geofencing for automated actions when entering or leaving areas.

**Highlights:** Remote device control, Sensor status monitoring, Program execution, Keypad control, Geofencing automation, Log viewing and filtering, Custom icon synchronization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Tearline by NGA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tearline-by-nga/id1201916437)

Access open-source intelligence on strategic, economic, and humanitarian topics. Review articles chronologically or by category, with detailed overviews and downloadable structured data. Includes infographics, visualizations, and satellite imagery analysis.

**Highlights:** Open access intelligence content, Chronological and categorized article review, Analytic overview and future focus highlights, Downloadable structured data, Infographics and visualizations, Satellite imagery analysis

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HCA free?

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

### Is Tearline by NGA free?

Tearline by NGA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, HCA or Tearline by NGA?

HCA is rated higher. HCA averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Tearline by NGA averages 3.6 from 9 ratings.

### Do HCA or Tearline by NGA have ads?

Neither HCA nor Tearline by NGA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HCA or Tearline by NGA?

HCA ships an update every 4 months, and Tearline by NGA every 3 months. Most recently, HCA was updated on October 23, 2026 and Tearline by NGA on October 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*