NorthStar Connect vs iQua
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NorthStar Connect
Control your Honeywell security system, thermostats, lighting, and locks remotely. Receive alerts, view live video, and track assets in real-time, anytime, anywhere. Requires a compatible system and subscription.
- Arm/disarm security system
- Control lights and thermostats
- Lock/unlock doors
- View live video and doorbell events
- Receive event alerts
- Locate vehicles or assets
- Create smart scenes
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The NorthStar Connect® Remote Services app gives you complete control of your Honeywell security system, thermostats, lighting, locks and more, plus the ability to receive text messages and email alerts, view live video and see your video doorbell events, locate vehicles or assets*— in real-time where ever you are 24 hours a day. Requirement: Compatible Honeywell security systems with a subscription to NorthStar Connect Remote Services. Please contact your security professional for additional information. Feature Highlights: · Arm or disarm your security system · Turn lights on or off · Adjust thermostat temperature · Unlock or lock doors · Control an August Smart Lock · Create Smart Scenes with a Wizard guide for convenience · View your live video and video events · See your SkyBell video doorbell events · Receive email and text alerts about events in your home or business including alarms, extreme temperature changes, motion detected in restricted areas, movement of valuable items, and more · Language support for: English, Latin American Spanish, French Canadian, Brazilian Portuguese · Secure Login with your fingerprint · Locate vehicles or assets · Create users and manage their security system codes · Test Drive Demo
iQua
Monitor and manage your Wi-Fi connected water treatment systems and water usage from your smartphone. Get detailed insights into your home's water consumption and receive alerts for potential issues.
- Monitor water usage (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly)
- View current water flow rate
- Track salt levels
- Control water system remotely
- Receive custom alerts for flow, usage, and salt
- Launch system regeneration
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The iQua® water management tool makes it possible to monitor and manage your Wi-Fi connected water treatment systems and water usage via smartphone. A simple and secure online dashboard provides system information at a glance, such as: - Average daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly home water usage - Home water used today - Current home water flow rate - Number of days until the salt is empty - Home water turned on or off You can launch a regeneration and adjust your settings from anywhere! The iQua® water management tool can be programmed to send alerts - Continual water flow in your home alert - Excessive water usage alert - Low salt alert - And more!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: iQua at ad-supported against NorthStar Connect's subscription. iQua also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3). NorthStar Connect's advantage is ratings volume (10K vs 1K) and device support (4 vs 1). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
iQua holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NorthStar Connect has 10K ratings behind it against 1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 15% and 15% positive.
NorthStar Connect ships an update every 5 weeks, iQua every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NorthStar Connect | iQua |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (10K ratings) | 4.7 (1K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 14.8% of reviews | 15.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 10K — better | 1K |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Subscription | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 225 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Northstar Alarm Services, LLC | EcoWater Systems LLC |
Customer experience
NorthStar Connect
iQua
User reviews
NorthStar Connect
From 10K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Helpful app features
- 🚀 Good app performance
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent technical issues
- 📞 Poor customer service
- 🔒 Security concerns
- 🔋 Battery drain problems
iQua
From 1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to set up and use
- 🚀 Useful smart features
- 💡 Helpful alerts and notifications
- 🔒 Secure remote access
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy app with connectivity issues
- 📉 Limited data and history tracking
- 🤔 Confusing or missing features
- 🤯 Frustrating user experience
Bugs and requests
NorthStar Connect
Reported bugs
3 issues- Cameras going offline frequently
- Unreliable motion detection
- Alarm system malfunctions
Requested features
3 requests- Improved camera functionality
- Better app stability and reliability
- More responsive customer support
iQua
Reported bugs
4 issues- Unable to create account or log in
- Inconsistent water flow data
- Inability to control water shutoff valve
- App crashes or loses connection
Requested features
4 requests- Regeneration history and schedule
- Detailed water usage analytics
- Improved app stability and reliability
- Integration with smart home platforms
In-app purchases
NorthStar Connect
No in-app purchases
iQua
No in-app purchases
