Comparison

Joule vs SmartVide

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

Head to head
About

Joule

This app provides access to sous vide recipes and allows remote control of a sous vide device. It guides users through the cooking process with features like Visual Doneness and precise temperature management, ensuring perfectly cooked food.

Highlights
  • Exclusive sous vide cooking guides
  • Visual Doneness selection
  • Step-by-step cooking instructions
  • Remote Bluetooth/Wifi control
  • Precise temperature control
  • Cooking notifications
Features
Read full description

Get access to the best sous vide recipes and control Joule, the world’s smallest, most powerful sous vide tool, with the Joule App. From raw to ready, the app coaches you through the whole process, so cooking sous vide is simple. Just pick what you want to cook, and we’ll walk you through the rest. The Joule App includes groundbreaking features like Visual Doneness, precise temperature control from anywhere, and a robust collection of recipes and cooking guides created by the ChefSteps team. Joule and its app were built and designed from scratch to work together, and we’re just as dedicated to the quality of our products as we are to the food we make with them. You can read more about Joule and the Joule App in publications like CNET, Wired, Lifehacker, Food & Wine, and Network World. HOW DOES THE JOULE APP WORK? You tell us what you’re cooking, we tell you when it’s ready. Making a two-inch steak? Great. Just tap the Start button, and Joule will set a timer for perfect doneness. Get notified when your steak is ready—and we’ll also tell you how much longer it can stay in the water without overcooking. WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE JOULE APP? • Exclusive access to our cooking guides: The app comes with step-by-step guides for everything from perfect fried chicken, to succulent salmon, to the best steak you’ve ever had in your life, helping you unlock the power of sous vide. What’s even better? We’ll keep adding new guides (and updating old ones) all the time. • Visual Doneness: Choose exactly how you want your food to look when it’s done, then press go, and Joule does the rest. No more filtering through online forums to get the information you need. Visual Doneness takes the guesswork out of sous vide. • Step-by-step instructions, so you can learn as you go: Every cooking guide comes loaded with quick videos that’ll teach you new techniques and help you get the best results. • Notifications that let you know when your water is hot and your food is done, no matter where you are. Not ready to eat? We’ll tell you how much longer your food can stay in without overcooking. • Bluetooth and Wifi control, so you can cook from anywhere. WHAT IS SOUS VIDE COOKING AND HOW DOES IT WORK? Chefs have been cooking sous vide for decades to get perfect proteins and amazing new textures. But, it’s not fancy or complicated—Joule heats water to a very specific temperature, so you can cook food gently, with super-human precision. The water never gets hotter than you want the food to be, so it won’t overcook. HOW DO I GET JOULE? Visit chefsteps.com/joule to learn more. CAN I STILL USE THE JOULE APP IF I HAVE ANOTHER SOUS VIDE TOOL, LIKE NOMIKU, SANSAIRE, OR ANOVA? Absolutely! You can still use our sous vide guides and Visual Doneness in the Joule App to figure out your favorite times and temperatures, then manually set your other tool and make amazing meals at home. LEGALESE: Terms of Use and Sale - https://www.chefsteps.com/terms Limited Warranty - https://www.chefsteps.com/joule/warranty EULA - https://www.chefsteps.com/eula Privacy Policy - https://www.chefsteps.com/privacy By downloading, installing or using the Joule app, you agree to the End User License Agreement. Currently, this app is only available in English.

About

SmartVide

Features
Read full description

The official app of the outstanding commercial stirrer circulator SmartVide by Sammic. You will be able to control with ease and precision the cooking process of your sous-vide recipes: - Control your bluetooth-enabled SmartVide from your iPhone. - Create and store your favourite recipes on SmartVide. - Monitor the cooking process of your recipes. - Check the records of finished cooking processes. - Generate HACCP reports in PDF with graphics and data tables. Send them via e-mail to store or print. - Create your own user list and store it on SmartVide8 plus. - And much more to come...

Screenshots

Joule4 screens
SmartVide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Joule at monthly against SmartVide's every 5 months. Joule also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Joule ships an update monthly, SmartVide every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Joule versus SmartVide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJouleSmartVide
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.6 (734 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews19.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings734 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChefSteps Inc.Sammic S.L.

In-app purchases

None

Joule

No in-app purchases

None

SmartVide

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Joule free?
Joule is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SmartVide free?
SmartVide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Joule or SmartVide have ads?
Neither Joule nor SmartVide shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Joule or SmartVide?
Joule ships an update monthly, and SmartVide every 5 months. Most recently, Joule was updated on October 23, 2026 and SmartVide on October 26, 2026.

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