Comparison

U Guard vs Merkury Smart

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

Head to head
About

U Guard

Access your DIY home security cameras remotely from your smartphone or tablet. View live feeds, utilize night vision, and receive motion alerts. The app also supports two-way audio and playback of recorded events.

Highlights
  • Live video streaming
  • Night vision capabilities
  • Motion detection alerts
  • Two-way audio communication
  • Playback of recorded events
Features
Read full description

For more than 50 years, Uniden has been creating innovative technologies that help you stay in touch and stay safe. From home security systems and security cameras to radio scanners and two-way radios, we make products that make it simple to stay connected. Uniden U Guard connects you to view your DIY home security video system’s cameras from anywhere in the world on your internet connected smartphone or tablet. - Watch live viewable video from anywhere you can connect to the internet - High quality night vision let's you see in the dark - When motion happens, get alerted on your smartphone or tablet and also get emails - Say and Hear with 2-way audio - Play recorded events PLEASE NOTE: To properly view the 1080p resolution video in the U Guard app, your home/business internet upload speed must be greater than 4 mbps connection on the network your monitor is connected to. If you have less than this upload speed you will need to use low resolution on the app to see your cameras.

About

Merkury Smart

Control and monitor a range of smart home devices, including cameras, lights, and plugs, from anywhere. Watch live HD streams, review recorded footage, and customize lighting effects for a connected home experience.

Highlights
  • Live HD video streaming
  • Motion detection alerts
  • Review recorded footage
  • Control smart lights
  • Manage smart plugs
  • Multi-camera support
Features
Read full description

Use this app with the Merkury Indoor Smart Camera, Merkury Outdoor Smart Camera, Merkury Auto-Follow Smart Camera, Merkury Smart Color Bulb, Merkury Smart Plug, Merkury Smart LED Strip Merkury Smart Doorbell Camera, Merkury Smart Wi-Fi Floodlight Camera, and Merkury Smart Wi-Fi Outlet Extender. Use this app to: -Watch Live HD Streaming: Quickly access your camera’s live video to see what is happening at a glance. Monitor your home or business to get peace of mind when you are away. Get notified when motion is detected. Set up Rules to automatically record and save events right when they happen. -Look Back at Activity: Review recorded HD videos and photos to see what you missed. Download and share important video clips to let others know what happened. -Do-It-Yourself Simplicity: Expand your view by adding multiple cameras to a single account. Securely access cameras across multiple locations to keep everything safe. -LED Strips Light It Up: For cabinets, under furniture, TV’s and more, our brilliant room light strips add color and vibrancy to your home! Great for holidays or anytime these lights work to illuminate with thousands of color and temperature variations. -Smart Plug: The Smart Plug lets you control devices from anywhere, at any time. Take up less space with this in-wall option that’s ideal for your living room, kitchen, even your bedroom. -Wi-Fi Light Bulb: Easily control or dim your lights from across the room or across the country with just your voice or the Merkury Smart app. Smart bulbs have Wi-Fi built in for simple set up so you’ll never get caught in the dark again. -Control From Anywhere: Using the innovative Merkury Smart app, you can control your smart devices anytime, anywhere.

Screenshots

U Guard4 screens
Merkury Smart4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Merkury Smart at 4.7 against U Guard's 1.9. Merkury Smart also leads on ratings volume (38K vs 55) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). U Guard's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.5). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Merkury Smart holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merkury Smart has 38K ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 9% of U Guard's written reviews are positive against 23% of Merkury Smart's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

U Guard ships an update every 5 months, Merkury Smart every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
U Guard versus Merkury Smart: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterU GuardMerkury Smart
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.9 (55 ratings)4.7 (38K ratings) — better
Positive reviews9.1% of reviews22.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5538K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank—#170 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB106 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUniden CorporationMerkury Innovations LLC

Customer experience

U Guard

All ratings55 ratings
Positive20.0%
Neutral1.8%
Negative78.2%
Written reviews88 reviews
Positive9.1%
Neutral5.7%
Negative85.2%

Merkury Smart

All ratings38,046 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral3.8%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews462 reviews
Positive22.7%
Neutral9.7%
Negative67.5%

Bugs and requests

U Guard

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Merkury Smart

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Issues with password reset
  • Trouble connecting cameras
  • SD card not recognized

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add option to invite family members
  • Improve motion detection and notifications
  • Allow saving of photos and recordings
  • Improve WiFi connectivity
  • Add more customization options
Show 1 more
  • Integrate with smart home platforms

In-app purchases

None

U Guard

No in-app purchases

None

Merkury Smart

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is U Guard free?
U Guard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Merkury Smart free?
Merkury Smart is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, U Guard or Merkury Smart?
Merkury Smart is rated higher. U Guard averages 1.9 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while Merkury Smart averages 4.7 from 38K ratings.
Do U Guard or Merkury Smart have ads?
Neither U Guard nor Merkury Smart shows ads.
Which is updated more often, U Guard or Merkury Smart?
U Guard ships an update every 5 months, and Merkury Smart every 6 weeks. Most recently, U Guard was updated on November 3, 2026 and Merkury Smart on November 11, 2026.

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