Comparison

ecobee by Generac vs SmartHQ

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ecobee by Generac

Control your smart home devices, including thermostats, cameras, and sensors. Automate your home for comfort and peace of mind, and monitor entryways and cabinets with intelligent alerts. Save energy with custom schedules and find potential rebates.

Highlights
  • Control SmartThermostat, SmartCamera, and SmartSensor
  • Step-by-step installation guides
  • Customizable thermostat schedules
  • Home automation with Autopilot
  • Intelligent alerts for entryways and cabinets
  • Energy rebate search
Features
Read full description

The ecobee by Generac app connects your home’s comfort, security, and energy systems into one intelligent experience. Powerful on their own and brilliant together, ecobee and Generac products learn your home’s patterns, adapt automatically, and help keep you comfortable, protected, and prepared, wherever you are. Comfort and energy savings · Control your smart thermostat from anywhere. · Save energy automatically with devices that adapt to your schedule, occupancy, and comfort preferences. · Track energy use and savings with easy-to-read reports. · Get alerts for HVAC maintenance and air filter changes. · Lower utility bills with solar products that use stored energy when utility prices peak, saving you money automatically. Home security · Easily monitor and manage your Smart Doorbell Camera and SmartCamera. · See what’s happening in and around your home in real time. · Get real-time alerts for important activity, including people and packages with an ecobee Smart Security plan. Resilience and backup power · Manage your PWRcell 1 & 2 home battery systems, PWRmicro inverters and PWRManager load control systems directly in the app. · Monitor real-time and historical energy production and storage. · Stay prepared with Outage Guard, which tracks severe weather and automatically charges your battery ahead of potential outages. · Extend backup power during outages with intelligent coordination between your thermostat and battery system. Keep everything running smoothly, all in one place. Download the ecobee by Generac app today.

About

SmartHQ

Control and monitor smart appliances from multiple brands in one app. Receive notifications, update software, and personalize settings. Get expert help and track energy usage.

Highlights
  • Remote appliance control
  • Appliance notifications
  • Software updates
  • Personalized settings
  • Voice integration
  • Energy/water usage monitoring
  • AI cooking recipes
  • Product registration
  • Expert assistance
  • Proactive service alerts
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

SmartHQ: Your Connected Home Command Center Effortlessly control your smart appliances from GE Appliances, Profile, Café, Monogram, Fisher & Paykel, and Haier – all in one app. KEY FEATURES: • REMOTE CONTROL – Monitor and control your appliances from anywhere, ensuring peace of mind and convenience. • STAY INFORMED - Receive timely notifications about your appliances, including alerts and updates. • SOFTWARE UPDATES - Keep your appliances running smoothly with the latest software updates and access new features as they become available. • PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCE - Create shortcuts for frequently used functions and download new appliance modes. • VOICE INTEGRATION – Add your appliances to Amazon Alexa and Google Home hubs for voice control. • MONITOR ENERGY & WATER USAGE - Gain insights into your appliance's energy and water consumption, helping you make informed choices. • ENHANCED COOKING EXPERIENCE - Generate cooking recipes using Flavorly AI. Monitor your oven's progress with the built-in camera and pair accessories such as smart cookware and probes. • CONVENIENT PRODUCT REGISTRATION - Register all your GE appliances, even non-Wi-Fi models, for quick access to manuals, specs, and support. • GET EXPERT HELP - Access the SmartHQ Assistant for answers to your appliance questions. • PROACTIVE SERVICE - Receive service alerts when your appliance needs attention and use the diagnostics tool to troubleshoot issues. • SCHEDULE SERVICE - Schedule a technician visit or access appliance support contact information. *Note: Features may vary depending on your appliance model and country of residence. REMOTE CONTROL REQUIREMENTS: Requires a compatible SmartHQ-enabled appliance or SmartHQ Connect module. SmartHQ Connect modules can be purchased online: https://www.geapplianceparts.com/store/parts/spec/PBX23W00Y0?SpecType=SpecType. OPTIONAL APP PERMISSIONS: • Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth/BLE - Used for commissioning nearby appliances. • Notifications - Used for product updates and status notifications. • Camera/Media Files - Used for Flavorly Picture to Recipe feature. - To scan QR codes to add appliances. - To scan product barcodes and provide recipes. • Precise Location - Used for enabling Automation feature (i.e. Home/Away mode).

Screenshots

ecobee by Generac4 screens
SmartHQ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SmartHQ at none against ecobee by Generac's 14. ecobee by Generac's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ecobee by Generac sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. SmartHQ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ecobee by Generac holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 203K and 88K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of ecobee by Generac's written reviews are positive against 17% of SmartHQ's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ecobee by Generac ships an update fortnightly, SmartHQ every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
ecobee by Generac versus SmartHQ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterecobee by GeneracSmartHQ
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (203K ratings) — better4.6 (88K ratings)
Positive reviews29.2% of reviews — better17.4% of reviews
Number of ratings203K — better88K
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#62 — better#78
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size563 MB259 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerecobee Ltd.HAIER US APPLIANCE SOLUTIONS, INC

Customer experience

ecobee by Generac

All ratings202,695 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews1,254 reviews
Positive29.2%
Neutral14.3%
Negative56.5%

SmartHQ

All ratings87,647 ratings
Positive89.9%
Neutral2.9%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews1,471 reviews
Positive17.4%
Neutral10.0%
Negative72.6%

User reviews

ecobee by Generac

From 203K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient remote control
  • 🔒 Secure connectivity
  • 👍 Intuitive interface
  • 👍 Helpful scheduling features
  • 👍 Reliable hardware

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app updates
  • 🕰️ Slow app response times
  • 🔀 Confusing UI changes
  • 🔋 Frequent disconnections
  • 🤖 Unreliable voice assistant integration

SmartHQ

From 88K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth and easy to connect
  • 👍 Convenient notifications
  • 👍 Helpful for laundry efficiency
  • 👍 Automation and scheduling
  • 👍 Integrated with Amazon

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Account verification issues
  • 🐛 Connectivity problems
  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable
  • 🐛 Limited functionality
  • 🐛 Intrusive data collection

Bugs and requests

ecobee by Generac

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Temperature settings not saving
  • Sensor detection issues
  • Frequent app crashes
  • Broken widget functionality
  • Account management problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Multi-zone management options
  • Customizable smart actions
  • Flexible scheduling intervals
  • Improved energy monitoring
  • Seamless HomeKit integration

SmartHQ

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Account verification loop
  • Inability to connect appliances to WiFi
  • Crashes and freezes
  • Inaccurate cycle tracking
  • Disconnection issues
Show 1 more
  • Incompatibility with certain devices

Requested features

7 requests
  • Allow setting favorites as default
  • Provide more granular control over appliance settings
  • Integrate with smart home platforms
  • Add more customization options
  • Improve notification controls
Show 2 more
  • Provide access to appliance manuals
  • Enable remote control of all appliance functions

In-app purchases

13 purchases

ecobee by Generac

Subscriptions13
  • Smart Security Standard14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Smart Security Standard2 Months trial$4.991 Month
  • Smart Security Standard1 Month trial$4.991 Month
Show 10 more
  • Smart Security Standard$4.991 Month
  • Smart Security Complete14 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Smart Security Complete2 Months trial$9.991 Month
  • Smart Security Complete1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Smart Security Complete$9.991 Month
  • Smart Security Standard14 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Smart Security Standard$49.991 Year
  • Smart Security Complete2 Months trial$89.991 Year
  • Smart Security Complete14 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • Smart Security Complete1 Month trial$89.991 Year
None

SmartHQ

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ecobee by Generac free?
ecobee by Generac is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SmartHQ free?
SmartHQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ecobee by Generac or SmartHQ?
ecobee by Generac is rated higher. ecobee by Generac averages 4.8 out of 5 from 203K ratings, while SmartHQ averages 4.6 from 88K ratings.
Do ecobee by Generac or SmartHQ have ads?
SmartHQ shows ads; ecobee by Generac does not.
Which is updated more often, ecobee by Generac or SmartHQ?
ecobee by Generac ships an update fortnightly, and SmartHQ every 4 weeks. Most recently, ecobee by Generac was updated on October 15, 2026 and SmartHQ on October 15, 2026.
Which is more popular, ecobee by Generac or SmartHQ?
ecobee by Generac currently peaks at #62 in the App Store charts, and SmartHQ at #78. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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