Garage Door Control vs ST SmartControl
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Garage Door Control
Control your garage door remotely using your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. Connect to compatible Bluetooth relay modules to open and close your garage with ease. Manage multiple doors, customize settings, and even use Siri voice commands.
- Open/close garage door via Bluetooth
- Control multiple garage doors
- Assign custom names to modules
- Set signal duration and relay number
- Apple Watch control
- Siri voice commands via Shortcuts
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With this app, you can easily open and close your garage door using your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. To use the app, you will need a garage door with an electric drive as well as a 2-channel relay module with Bluetooth BLE (“2 Channel Relay Module Bluetooth BLE”). This module is inexpensive and available in many online shops. Use an Internet search engine to find it. More information about the app and the relay module can be found on this website: garage-door-app.com The app can be connected to any number of modules. This way, you can equip several garage doors with a relay module each and conveniently control them all through a single app. By assigning an alias, each module can be clearly named and easily identified – for example: “Home garage,” “Workshop garage,” “Left garage door,” “Right garage door,” or “Parents’ garage.” The app also lets you set the signal duration and choose the relay number individually. For a double garage with two doors, both relays can be controlled separately. In this case, two buttons will appear: one for Door 1 and one for Door 2. The default password for these modules is “12345678.” For added security, you can change the password directly in the app. The password must be exactly eight digits long. With this app, you can also open and close your garage directly from the Apple Watch. The connection to the relay module only needs to be set up once via the iPhone. Afterwards, the control works directly from the Apple Watch, even without the iPhone. The Apple Watch app must be unlocked via a one-time in-app purchase. Additionally, you can create a Shortcut to open and close the garage. This allows you to control the door with Siri voice commands or via a shortcut on the Home Screen. The best way is to create two Shortcuts – for example, one named “Open garage” and one named “Close garage.” That way, you can use these exact commands with Siri. To use Shortcuts, you must either remove the ads or unlock the Apple Watch app – both are done with a one-time in-app purchase.
ST SmartControl
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ST SmartControl is a smartphone app and a Wi-Fi radio receiver that allows the smartphone to act as a remote control. Using the smartphone Wi-Fi, the app orders the appropriate radio receiver to execute the command. Once the app is launched, a virtual remote control is visible on the smartphone display. To activate the automation, just press the corresponding button, like a traditional remote control. The app will give a signal of its correct functioning by means of a virtual LED signal. It's easy to use and anyone can do it, in fact you just need to be able to use a smartphone. It is a virtual remote control to operate doors, gates, garages, or any kind automation. On first use: Install the WI-FI receiver. Download the app. Configure the type of automation. Launch the app on your smartphone. Operational use: Start the app and press the virtual button visible on the smartphone screen to activate the corresponding automation. ST SmartControl allows you to use the same device to operate several gates or automations configured to them and allows you to maintain the receiving system/electronic control unit in case of loss or theft of the remote control. In fact in these cases you just need to lock the smartphone. ST SmartControl means zero maintenance cost, it is environmentally friendly, no printed circuit boards, and no batteries to replacing.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ST SmartControl at none against Garage Door Control's 2. ST SmartControl also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.0). Garage Door Control's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). On price and device support 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. Garage Door Control sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. ST SmartControl asks for nothing beyond the download.
Garage Door Control ships an update every 2 months, ST SmartControl every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Garage Door Control | ST SmartControl |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (20 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 52.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 20 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 43 MB | 57 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vitalij Schaefer | Startec srl |
In-app purchases
Garage Door Control
- Remove Ads$17.99
- Unlock the Watch App$17.99
ST SmartControl
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Garage Door Control free?
Is ST SmartControl free?
Do Garage Door Control or ST SmartControl have ads?
Which is updated more often, Garage Door Control or ST SmartControl?
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