# ViCare vs Shelly Smart Control

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | ViCare | Shelly Smart Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vicare/id964468260/reviews)** | [3.1 (88 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-smart-control/id1660045967/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 88 |
| Positive reviews | 40.7% of reviews | **47.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 662 MB | 255 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Viessmann IT Service GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1801739683) | [SHELLY EUROPE EOOD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1521653049) |

## What reviewers say

### ViCare

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vicare/id964468260)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $33.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app to control heating and hot water
- 📊 Useful data and analytics on energy usage
- 🌟 Intuitive and easy to use interface
- ⏱️ Convenient remote access and control

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connection issues and app crashes
- 🔌 Unreliable sync with boiler, settings not always applied
- 🕰️ Limited scheduling and timer options
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive user experience

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-smart-control/id1660045967)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


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