Comparison

SmartHQ vs Ember

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

Head to head
About

SmartHQ

Control and monitor smart appliances from multiple brands in one app. Receive notifications, update software, and personalize settings. Get expert help and track energy usage.

Highlights
  • Remote appliance control
  • Appliance notifications
  • Software updates
  • Personalized settings
  • Voice integration
  • Energy/water usage monitoring
  • AI cooking recipes
  • Product registration
  • Expert assistance
  • Proactive service alerts
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

SmartHQ: Your Connected Home Command Center Effortlessly control your smart appliances from GE Appliances, Profile, Café, Monogram, Fisher & Paykel, and Haier – all in one app. KEY FEATURES: • REMOTE CONTROL – Monitor and control your appliances from anywhere, ensuring peace of mind and convenience. • STAY INFORMED - Receive timely notifications about your appliances, including alerts and updates. • SOFTWARE UPDATES - Keep your appliances running smoothly with the latest software updates and access new features as they become available. • PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCE - Create shortcuts for frequently used functions and download new appliance modes. • VOICE INTEGRATION – Add your appliances to Amazon Alexa and Google Home hubs for voice control. • MONITOR ENERGY & WATER USAGE - Gain insights into your appliance's energy and water consumption, helping you make informed choices. • ENHANCED COOKING EXPERIENCE - Generate cooking recipes using Flavorly AI. Monitor your oven's progress with the built-in camera and pair accessories such as smart cookware and probes. • CONVENIENT PRODUCT REGISTRATION - Register all your GE appliances, even non-Wi-Fi models, for quick access to manuals, specs, and support. • GET EXPERT HELP - Access the SmartHQ Assistant for answers to your appliance questions. • PROACTIVE SERVICE - Receive service alerts when your appliance needs attention and use the diagnostics tool to troubleshoot issues. • SCHEDULE SERVICE - Schedule a technician visit or access appliance support contact information. *Note: Features may vary depending on your appliance model and country of residence. REMOTE CONTROL REQUIREMENTS: Requires a compatible SmartHQ-enabled appliance or SmartHQ Connect module. SmartHQ Connect modules can be purchased online: https://www.geapplianceparts.com/store/parts/spec/PBX23W00Y0?SpecType=SpecType. OPTIONAL APP PERMISSIONS: • Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth/BLE - Used for commissioning nearby appliances. • Notifications - Used for product updates and status notifications. • Camera/Media Files - Used for Flavorly Picture to Recipe feature. - To scan QR codes to add appliances. - To scan product barcodes and provide recipes. • Precise Location - Used for enabling Automation feature (i.e. Home/Away mode).

About

Ember

This app allows you to precisely control the temperature of your hot beverages using a smart mug. Customize presets, receive notifications when your drink reaches the perfect temperature, and explore recipes. Personalize your mug settings for an enhanced drinking experience.

Highlights
  • Precise temperature control
  • Save temperature presets
  • Beverage recipes and blogs
  • Customizable notifications
  • Manage multiple mugs
  • Personalize mug settings
Features
Read full description

At Ember®, we use temperature control to change the world in ordinary (and extraordinary) ways. With an Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug and the Ember app, you can transform your mornings by making hot beverages set to your chosen temperature an everyday reality. Our redesigned Ember app is simple, easy to use, and customizable. Whether you are a first-time user or a long-time customer, get ready for a whole new temperature control experience. The Ember app seamlessly pairs with your Ember products to precisely adjust your favorite hot drinks to your preferred drinking temperature, saves temperature presets, offers recipes, sends notifications when your desired drinking temperature has been reached, and more. Ember App Features: - Control the temperature of your beverage down to the degree - Use your previous temperature setting for a set-it-and-forget-it beverage experience - Manage unlimited paired mugs on an all-new Ember home screen - Find recipes and blogs you can save and share with friends and family in the new Explore section - Receive notifications when your preferred temperature has been reached, or your battery is low - Customize presets for multiple beverages and engage timers - Personalize your mugs with names and adjust the color of the smart LED - Easily switch between °C/°F and control sounds and haptic feedback in the redesigned Account section - Access Ember x Health with Apple Health

Screenshots

SmartHQ4 screens
Ember4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SmartHQ at 4.6 against Ember's 3.3. SmartHQ also leads on ratings volume (90K vs 7.5K) and chart position (#53 vs unranked). Ember's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, review sentiment, 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SmartHQ holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmartHQ has 90K ratings behind it against 7.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 17% and 18% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SmartHQ ships an update every 4 weeks, Ember every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
SmartHQ versus Ember: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmartHQEmber
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (90K ratings) — better3.3 (7.5K ratings)
Positive reviews17.4% of reviews17.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings90K — better7.5K
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#53 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size251 MB63 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHAIER US APPLIANCE SOLUTIONS, INCEmber Technologies Inc.

Customer experience

SmartHQ

All ratings89,296 ratings
Positive89.9%
Neutral2.9%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews1,499 reviews
Positive17.4%
Neutral9.9%
Negative72.6%

Ember

All ratings7,459 ratings
Positive54.5%
Neutral4.8%
Negative40.7%
Written reviews1,334 reviews
Positive17.6%
Neutral8.4%
Negative74.0%

User reviews

SmartHQ

From 90K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth and easy to connect
  • 👍 Convenient notifications
  • 👍 Helpful for laundry efficiency
  • 👍 Automation and scheduling
  • 👍 Integrated with Amazon

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Account verification issues
  • 🐛 Connectivity problems
  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable
  • 🐛 Limited functionality
  • 🐛 Intrusive data collection

Ember

From 7.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Keeps drink at perfect temperature
  • 🍵 Great for tea and coffee drinkers
  • 🎨 Customizable LED light colors
  • 🔋 Decent battery life when used properly
  • 🤖 Apple Watch app integration

Room to improve

  • 🔌 Requires frequent charging and docking
  • 🔒 Forced account creation and login
  • 🔄 Unreliable Bluetooth connectivity
  • 🐛 Buggy app with frequent issues
  • 🤔 Confusing app UI and controls

Bugs and requests

SmartHQ

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Account verification loop
  • Inability to connect appliances to WiFi
  • Crashes and freezes
  • Inaccurate cycle tracking
  • Disconnection issues
Show 1 more
  • Incompatibility with certain devices

Requested features

7 requests
  • Allow setting favorites as default
  • Provide more granular control over appliance settings
  • Integrate with smart home platforms
  • Add more customization options
  • Improve notification controls
Show 2 more
  • Provide access to appliance manuals
  • Enable remote control of all appliance functions

Ember

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App frequently logs users out
  • Mug disconnects from app randomly
  • Firmware update process often fails
  • App doesn't always detect liquid in mug
  • Presets and settings get lost after updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Battery level indicator on main screen
  • Improved Apple Watch app functionality
  • Wireless charging option
  • Ability to lock temperature settings
  • Automatic temperature adjustment based on volume

In-app purchases

None

SmartHQ

No in-app purchases

None

Ember

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SmartHQ free?
SmartHQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ember free?
Ember is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SmartHQ or Ember?
SmartHQ is rated higher. SmartHQ averages 4.6 out of 5 from 90K ratings, while Ember averages 3.3 from 7.5K ratings.
Do SmartHQ or Ember have ads?
SmartHQ shows ads; Ember does not.
Which is updated more often, SmartHQ or Ember?
SmartHQ ships an update every 4 weeks, and Ember every 2 months. Most recently, SmartHQ was updated on November 9, 2026 and Ember on November 8, 2026.

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