Comparison

ViCare vs Shelly Smart Control

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

Head to head
About

ViCare

Control your home heating system remotely with this app. Adjust temperatures, set schedules, and monitor system status for comfort and energy savings. Receive alerts and manage basic functions from your smartphone.

Highlights
  • Remote heating system control
  • Set preferred room temperatures
  • Create daily heating schedules
  • Monitor system status
  • Energy cost savings
  • Holiday program settings
Features
Read full description

ViCare - the best way to connect to your Viessmann heating system. New possibilities to control your heating system via the internet offers the ViCare app. With the simple graphical user interface of ViCare, the operation of the heating system is very intuitive. Feel secure Warmth and reassurance in one ● In one view, get an instant check if everything is in order Save costs Set your preferred room temperature and save money when you’re away from home ● Simple, convenient operation of your heating system ● Store daily schedules and automatically save energy costs ● Set basic functions at the touch of a button on your smartphone Core functions (depending on heating system): ● Displaying the status of your heating ● Capability to set up the most important functions of your heating system ● Store your daily routine to automatically save energy costs ● View outside temperature history ● Shortcuts e.g.: I want hot water or I’m away ● Holiday program Please note: We publish the functions gradually! You can expect several small updates in the next weeks and months. There will be always something new to discover. Comments or feedback? Share your thoughts with us and other users in our Viessmann Community! https://www.viessmann-community.com/ ____________ Important: The ViCare app can be used in conjunction with an internet-compatible Viessmann heating system or in conjunction with the Viessmann Vitoconnect WLAN module or a Viessmann heating system with an integrated Internet interface. Functions available in ViCare are depending on functions available on boiler itself. ____________ Terms of use: https://climate-solutions.com/vicare/terms-of-use/US/en.html

About

Shelly Smart Control

Remotely monitor and control smart home devices from anywhere, either through the cloud or your local network. Manage lights, appliances, and sensors, and create custom automation scenes. Supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LAN connectivity for seamless integration.

Highlights
  • Remote device control
  • Local network control
  • Device monitoring
  • Custom scheduling
  • Scene creation
  • Energy consumption monitoring
  • Real-time alerts
Features
Read full description

This app offers the possibility to control all Shelly devices remotely. You can monitor and control your devices from anywhere (by using the cloud option) or, if you do not want the Cloud option, you will still be able to monitor and control your devices from within your local network. Shelly devices do not need to be connected to the cloud or to send data there. The Shelly Home Automation portfolio includes a variety of relay switches, sensors, plugs, bulbs, and other controllers, all connected and controlled through your Wi-Fi network. The new Shelly Plus and Shelly Pro lines of products additionally support Bluetooth connectivity for faster device inclusion and communication, and the new Shelly Pro line offers LAN and Wi-Fi usage simultaneously. The entire Shelly portfolio is available at https://shelly.cloud/ Shelly devices are suitable to control lights, garage doors, curtains, window blinds, or other appliances, trigger actions based on certain parameters from sensor devices. Devices provide near real time notification on changes of the parameters they are measuring - energy consumption, temperature other environment values. All Shelly devices have: - Embedded Web server - Wi-Fi control and connectivity - APIs for observation and control A user account is required to access, include, and control Shelly devices through the application. Once Shelly account is registered, you can: - Connect the devices to an existing W-Fi network or use their Access Point mode locally to control other Shelly devices; - Include, manage, and operate as many Shelly devices as you need; - Configure devices and manage individual settings on every device; - Configure custom scheduling for automatic actions; - Create personalized rooms for more convenient organising and control of the devices; - Define custom Groups of devices to control multiple devices with one command within the app; - Build simple and complex scenes by combining Shelly devices to trigger certain actions in your home automation; - Monitor current and past electrical power consumption of the electrical circuit(s) and loads (for Shelly devices equipped with Power-measuring capabilities); - Build complex automation solutions for improved energy and operational efficiency; - Receive real time alerts and notifications based on your preference. Shelly devices are compatible with other widely used both local and cloud-based home automation platforms like Google Home or Alexa.

Screenshots

ViCare4 screens
Shelly Smart Control4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ViCare at 4.5 against Shelly Smart Control's 3.1. ViCare also leads on ratings volume (1.3K vs 88). Shelly Smart Control's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. ViCare sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Shelly Smart Control asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ViCare holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ViCare has 1.3K ratings behind it against 88, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of ViCare's written reviews are positive against 47% of Shelly Smart Control's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ViCare ships an update every 9 days, Shelly Smart Control every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ViCare versus Shelly Smart Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterViCareShelly Smart Control
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (1.3K ratings) — better3.1 (88 ratings)
Positive reviews40.7% of reviews47.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.3K — better88
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size662 MB255 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperViessmann IT Service GmbHSHELLY EUROPE EOOD

Customer experience

ViCare

All ratings1,287 ratings
Positive89.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative7.0%
Written reviews755 reviews
Positive40.7%
Neutral11.8%
Negative47.5%

Shelly Smart Control

All ratings87 ratings
Positive51.7%
Neutral9.2%
Negative39.1%
Written reviews146 reviews
Positive47.3%
Neutral13.0%
Negative39.7%

Bugs and requests

ViCare

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App fails to load or gets stuck on loading screen
  • Settings changes not syncing properly with boiler
  • Incorrect time zone and DST adjustments
  • Frequent loss of connectivity to boiler

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add a simple 'boost' or 'quick on' heating mode
  • Provide more granular control over heating and hot water schedules
  • Enable integration with smart home platforms like Alexa or HomeKit
  • Improve data visualization and historical energy usage tracking

Shelly Smart Control

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ViCare

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly1 Month trial$3.991 Month
  • Yearly1 Month trial$33.991 Year
None

Shelly Smart Control

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ViCare free?
ViCare is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shelly Smart Control free?
Shelly Smart Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ViCare or Shelly Smart Control?
ViCare is rated higher. ViCare averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Shelly Smart Control averages 3.1 from 88 ratings.
Do ViCare or Shelly Smart Control have ads?
Neither ViCare nor Shelly Smart Control shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ViCare or Shelly Smart Control?
ViCare ships an update every 9 days, and Shelly Smart Control every 2 weeks. Most recently, ViCare was updated on October 24, 2026 and Shelly Smart Control on October 25, 2026.

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