# Nanoleaf vs Controller for HomeKit

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Nanoleaf at none against Controller for HomeKit's 10. Nanoleaf also leads on ratings volume (45K vs 2.7K) and iOS requirement (15.4 vs 17.0). Controller for HomeKit's advantage is review sentiment (26% vs 17%) and device support (5 vs 3). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Controller for HomeKit sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Nanoleaf asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Nanoleaf against 4.1 for Controller for HomeKit. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nanoleaf has 45K ratings behind it against 2.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 17% of Nanoleaf's written reviews are positive against 26% of Controller for HomeKit's.

Nanoleaf ships an update every 2 weeks, Controller for HomeKit every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nanoleaf | Controller for HomeKit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (45K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nanoleaf/id1049333656/reviews)** | [4.1 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/controller-for-homekit/id1198176727/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **45K** | 2.7K |
| Positive reviews | 17.3% of reviews | **26.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 188 MB | 212 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.4** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nanoleaf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1049333655) | [acasa Software GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/974663980) |

## What reviewers say

### Nanoleaf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nanoleaf/id1049333656)

Control and customize your smart lighting experience with this app. Design layouts, set schedules, and explore community-created scenes. Integrate with smart home assistants for hands-free control.

**Highlights:** Virtual Layout Assistant, One-touch RGB presets, Full customization, Remote on/off and brightness control, Group and room control, Scene creation and discovery, Voice command integration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Customizable lighting
- 💡 Innovative features
- 🎨 Beautiful product design
- 🕰 Scheduling and automation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🔌 Unreliable firmware updates
- 🤯 Confusing app UI/UX
- 🕰 Slow response times
- 🔍 Difficult to troubleshoot

**Reported bugs**

- Lights randomly disconnecting
- Firmware updates failing or bricking devices
- Scenes not syncing properly across devices
- App crashes on launch or during use
- Delayed or unresponsive device controls

**Requested features**

- Improved app stability and reliability
- More intuitive scene creation and management
- Better integration with other smart home platforms
- Customizable animation speed and effects
- Ability to save and restore custom color presets


### Controller for HomeKit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/controller-for-homekit/id1198176727)

Enhance your smart home experience with advanced control and automation. Visualize your home with floor plans, track device performance with charts, and create complex automations tailored to your needs. Organize devices, store setup codes, and monitor your entire smart home ecosystem.

**Highlights:** Floor plan visualization with LiDAR, Device performance charts, Complex automations and workflows, Custom notifications, Smart folders and filters, Setup code storage, Device maintenance and logs

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Controller Essentials | $4.99 | per month |
| Essentials Lifetime - Plus Addon | $4.99 | per month |
| Controller Plus | $8.99 | per month |
| Controller Essentials | $39.99 | per year |
| Essentials Lifetime - Plus Addon | $39.99 | per year |
| Controller Plus | $79.99 | per year |
| Controller Essentials Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful automation features
- 📚 Helpful backup and restore functionality
- 🔍 Detailed logging and troubleshooting
- 🧠 Advanced HomeKit control and customization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crash-prone
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🤖 Poor customer support
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive UI

**Reported bugs**

- Backup and restore issues
- Disappearing automations and accessories
- Compatibility problems with iOS 16.2
- Slow performance and unresponsiveness

**Requested features**

- Improved documentation and tutorials
- Better integration with Apple Home app
- Support for more HomeKit device types
- Ability to customize automation triggers


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nanoleaf free?

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

### Is Controller for HomeKit free?

Controller for HomeKit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Nanoleaf or Controller for HomeKit?

Nanoleaf is rated higher. Nanoleaf averages 4.2 out of 5 from 45K ratings, while Controller for HomeKit averages 4.1 from 2.7K ratings.

### Do Nanoleaf or Controller for HomeKit have ads?

Neither Nanoleaf nor Controller for HomeKit shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nanoleaf or Controller for HomeKit?

Nanoleaf ships an update every 2 weeks, and Controller for HomeKit every 10 days. Most recently, Nanoleaf was updated on September 24, 2026 and Controller for HomeKit on September 23, 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.*