# SMARTLINK™ Observation vs SmartlinkDQ

The clearest difference is update cadence: SMARTLINK™ Observation at every 3 months against SmartlinkDQ's every 26 months. SmartlinkDQ's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

SMARTLINK™ Observation ships an update every 3 months, SmartlinkDQ every 26 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMARTLINK™ Observation | SmartlinkDQ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartlink-observation/id981253302/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 26 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GOJO Industries, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/737311872) | [CimTechniques, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1372703028) |

## What reviewers say

### SMARTLINK™ Observation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartlink-observation/id981253302)

This system enables electronic collection and collation of hand hygiene and personal protective equipment metrics. Observers can customize data collection for their facility, including locations, job roles, and hand hygiene protocols. It provides immediate feedback and performance results.

**Highlights:** Electronic data collection, Hand hygiene metrics, PPE observation, Customizable facility settings, Immediate feedback, Performance results

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### SmartlinkDQ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartlinkdq/id1597591243)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMARTLINK™ Observation free?

SMARTLINK™ Observation is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SmartlinkDQ free?

SmartlinkDQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do SMARTLINK™ Observation or SmartlinkDQ have ads?

Neither SMARTLINK™ Observation nor SmartlinkDQ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SMARTLINK™ Observation or SmartlinkDQ?

SMARTLINK™ Observation ships an update every 3 months, and SmartlinkDQ every 26 months. Most recently, SMARTLINK™ Observation was updated on October 5, 2026 and SmartlinkDQ on October 8, 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.*