Comparison

LG ThinQ vs SmartThings

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

Head to head
About

LG ThinQ

Control and manage your LG smart home appliances from anywhere. This app offers smart care, automation, energy monitoring, and direct access to troubleshooting and service requests for your connected devices.

Highlights
  • Remote appliance control
  • Smart home automation routines
  • Energy consumption monitoring
  • Product troubleshooting and service booking
  • AI-powered chat support
  • Downloadable appliance apps
Features
Currently charting
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Connect your IoT home appliances to the LG ThinQ app. Enjoy effortless product control, smart care, and convenient automation in one simple solution. ■ Discover the convenience of smart home appliances through the Home tab.  - Control your IoT home appliances from anywhere with our app.  - Get personalized recommendations for managing appliances based on usage history. - Find out ways to better make use of the app's features from ""Explore"" ■ Upgrade your products and your living spaces from ThinQ Play. - Download a variety of apps available for use from LG ThinQ On(AI Home Hub) - Use your products more efficiently and with greater ease by introducing new features to products you are currently using. - Upgrade your products based on your lifestyle and personal preferences. ■ Create smart routines to match your needs.  - Automatically turn on the lights and air purifier when it’s time to wake up.  - When you’re on vacation, automatically turn off products to save energy. ■ Monitor your energy consumption data quickly.  - Use Energy Monitoring to compare your power usage with your neighbors’.  - Set energy saving goals and get usage status notifications to help save energy more efficiently. - Receive care services for your products all in one place. ■ Handle everything from troubleshooting to service requests directly from the app.  - Use the Smart Diagnosis function to check your product’s status.  - Book a service visit from a professional engineer for an accurate diagnosis and inspection. ■ Ask our AI-powered 'Chat with LG' about ThinQ home appliances.  - Our 'Chat with LG' provides answers tailored to your product’s situation and condition. ※ Services and features may vary depending on your product model and your country or region of residence. The following access permissions are necessary for the ThinQ app. All the access permissions requested are optional access permission, so even if you do not allow them, you can still use the app except for the related services. (Including OS Request Permissions such as ""Siri & Search"", ""Notification"", ""Background App Refresh"", and ""Cellular Data"") [Optional Access Permissions] • Location - To find and connect to nearby Wi-Fi when registering the product. - To set and save the home location in Manage Home - To search for and use information about current locations, such as weather. - To check your current location in the ""Smart Routines"" function. • Camera - To take a profile picture - To share a home or account scanned from a QR code. - To take and attach photos in ""1:1 Inquiry."" - To record and store purchase receipts when registering additional information about the product..(미국 Only) - To use the AI oven Cooking Record feature. - To use in “Chat with LG” when entering the product and serial number information • Photo, Media, File - To use the smartphone's storage when downloading the information of the product to be connected - To take and attach photos in ""1:1 Inquiry."" - To record and store purchase receipts when registering additional information about the product. - To view photo/video on your smartphone on the TV. - To use in “Chat with LG” to save photos/videos of product symptoms or proof of purchase - To use in “Chat with LG” when entering the product and serial number information • Media and Apple Music - To view photo/video on your smartphone on the TV. • Microphone - To check product status via Smart Diagnosis - To use in “Chat with LG” when inputting through the microphone in the input window and using STT. • Local Network - To obtain the device connecting Wi-Fi info when adding devices • Bluetooth - To find and connect to nearby Bluetooth devices when adding a product to the app. • HomeKit - To add IoT-based products • Notifications - Notifications are essential for receiving updates on product status, important notices, benefits, and information.

About

SmartThings

Unify and manage all your smart home devices from a single application. Connect hundreds of brands, create custom scenes and routines, and control your home remotely. Monitor energy usage and even get meal planning assistance.

Highlights
  • Connect and control devices from multiple brands
  • Create custom scenes and routines
  • Remote home monitoring and control
  • Automated notifications and status updates
  • Voice control with Google Assistant
  • Energy tracking and saving features
  • Smart cooking and meal planning assistance
Features
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Quickly and easily connect and control your smart home devices through SmartThings. SmartThings is compatible with 100s of smart home brands. So, you can control all of your smart home gadgets in one place, including your Samsung Smart TV and smart home appliances. With SmartThings, you can connect, monitor and control multiple smart home devices quicker and easier. Connect your Samsung smart TVs, smart appliances, smart speakers and brands like Ring, Nest and Philips Hue - all from one app. Then control your smart devices using voice assistants including Google Assistant [Key Features] - Control and check in on your home from wherever you are - Connect your smart devices across many different brands to work together by setting ‘scenes’ - Build routines that are set on time, weather, and device status, so your home runs smoothly in the background - Allow shared control by giving access to other users - Receive status updates about your devices with automated notifications - Talk to your devices using Google Assistant - Track, monitor and save money on energy with SmartThings Energy. See how much your home and compatible Samsung devices cost to run, and try various energy saving features, such as AI saving mode, or schedule devices to run during off peak hours. - Receive recipe recommendations by scanning meal kits, wine, and meat. Plan, shop and prep meals with the help of SmartThings Cooking ※ Some features may not be available in all countries. [App requirements] Some mobile devices may not be supported. - iOS 17.0 or later / iPhone XR or later / iPad 6 or later ※ App permissions The following permissions are required for the app service. For optional permissions, the default functionality of the service is turned on, but not allowed. [Optional access permissions] • Apple Health : Used to sync with Apple Health data to give you better Family Care insights • Apple Music : Used to read music album information • Bluetooth : Used to scan for nearby devices using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) • Camera: Used to scan QR codes so you can easily add members and devices to SmartThings • Contacts : Used to get phone numbers of your contacts to send text message notifications • Location : Used to locate your devices, create routines based on your location, and scan for nearby devices using Wi-Fi • Local Network : Used to find Wi-Fi connected devices • Microphone: Used to add certain devices to SmartThings using high-frequency sounds • Notification : Used to provide notifications about SmartThings devices and features • NFC : Used to check information about devices that you intend to connect • Photos : Used to play photos and videos on SmartThings devices • Voice recognition : Used to convert voice to text

Screenshots

LG ThinQ4 screens
SmartThings4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: SmartThings at free against LG ThinQ's free with in-app purchases. SmartThings also leads on ratings volume (845K vs 234K). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for LG ThinQ against 4.6 for SmartThings. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 234K and 845K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 28% of LG ThinQ's written reviews are positive against 31% of SmartThings's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LG ThinQ ships an update every 3 weeks, SmartThings monthly. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
LG ThinQ versus SmartThings: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLG ThinQSmartThings
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (234K ratings)4.6 (845K ratings)
Positive reviews28.1% of reviews30.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings234K845K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#19#7 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size713 MB887 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperLG Electronics, Inc.Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

LG ThinQ

All ratings233,987 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral2.6%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews4,816 reviews
Positive28.1%
Neutral9.4%
Negative62.5%

SmartThings

All ratings845,252 ratings
Positive89.1%
Neutral2.9%
Negative8.0%
Written reviews7,634 reviews
Positive30.7%
Neutral6.5%
Negative62.8%

User reviews

LG ThinQ

From 234K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient remote control
  • 📢 Helpful notifications
  • 🔍 Useful diagnostics
  • 🔋 Energy monitoring

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues
  • 🤖 Limited functionality
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns
  • 🕰️ Slow app performance
  • 🤷‍♀️ Confusing setup

SmartThings

From 845K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Remote control functionality
  • 📚 Laundry cycle recommendations
  • 🤖 Automation and scheduling capabilities
  • 🔧 Customizable settings

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent disconnections and crashes
  • ⏱️ Slow and laggy performance
  • 🔍 Difficulty connecting and configuring devices
  • 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive user interface
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with location tracking

Bugs and requests

LG ThinQ

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Unreliable device connections
  • Inaccurate temperature/status reporting
  • Inability to clear notification history
  • Forced location tracking
  • Account/login problems after updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Remote start/stop for appliances
  • Customizable wash/dry cycles
  • Automatic clock adjustment
  • Integrated smart home features
  • Improved notification management

SmartThings

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to add or remove devices
  • Inconsistent device status updates
  • Notifications not working as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to control TV without remote
  • Improved photo/artwork management for Frame TV
  • More advanced automation and scheduling options
  • Better integration with other smart home platforms

In-app purchases

None

LG ThinQ

No in-app purchases

None

SmartThings

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LG ThinQ free?
LG ThinQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SmartThings free?
SmartThings is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LG ThinQ or SmartThings?
LG ThinQ and SmartThings are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 234K and 845K ratings respectively.
Do LG ThinQ or SmartThings have ads?
Neither LG ThinQ nor SmartThings shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LG ThinQ or SmartThings?
LG ThinQ ships an update every 3 weeks, and SmartThings monthly. Most recently, LG ThinQ was updated on October 17, 2026 and SmartThings on October 17, 2026.
Which is more popular, LG ThinQ or SmartThings?
LG ThinQ currently peaks at #19 in the App Store charts, and SmartThings at #7. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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