Comparison

HIQ Commander vs Visual Home

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

Head to head
About

HIQ Commander

Features
Read full description

HIQ Commander is part of HIQ home automation system. It allows user to control lights, blinds, appliances, heating/cooling, access control and alarm. IMPORTANT: this application requires HIQ home automation hardware. To try out without the hardware, download HIQ Configurator from http://www.cybrotech.com, install and start HIQ Simulator. Registration is not required. When started for the first time, application will detect connected devices: - light (on/off) - dimmer (0..100%) - RGB dimmer (lightness, hue, saturation) - blinds (up/down, intermediate position) - scene (apply, inverse, memorize) - thermostat (set point, temperature, humidity, fan speed) - measured temperature (room, outdoor, hot water, wall) - measured electricity (energy and power consumption) - security alarm (4 zones) For each device, user can give a recognizable name and select icon. Various devices can be connected, such as bathroom fan, table fan, electric door lock, electric heater, humidifier, dehumidifier, heated insect repellent, TV set, projector or audio system. Along with the mixed colors, RGB dimmer offers a special white temperature mode, which simulate output from cold daylight to warm evening light. HIQ Commander allows both local and remote control over internet. Remote access is enabled automatically.

About

Visual Home

Unify and control your smart home devices from a single dashboard. Visualize data from various sources and trigger actions on connected devices. Offers advanced features through an optional subscription.

Highlights
  • Unified dashboard for smart home data
  • Control connected devices
  • Support for Philips Hue, HomeKit, Homematic, and more
  • MQTT and HTTP REST client
  • JavaScript Lambda functions
  • Homescreen widgets
  • Favorites management
Features
Read full description

Visual displays the data from different sources on an unified dashboard. In addition it allows controlling and triggering actions on connected devices. Directly supported are currently - Philips Hue - HomeKit - Homematic - Ezcontrol XS1 - HTML Widgets - Open Weather Map - PVOutput.org The more experienced user can also use - MQTT Client (Subscribe, Publish) - HTTP REST Client - JavaScript Lambda functions # Information on HomeKit Visual offers to visualize the values of all HomeKit accessories with readable characteristics and scalar data formats (e.g. integer, float). In addition Visual can set values to writable characteristics with scalar data formats. # Information on the In-App purchase • This App offers an auto-renewing subscription "Advanced Features" that unlock extended features: - JavaScript Lambda functions - Search and filter datapoints - Trigger scenes defined in the Philips Hue bridge - Debug logging for all endpoints - Multi column dashboard - Homescreen Widgets - Favorites • This In-App purchase is an auto-renewing subscription • The subscription duration is 1 month • For the price please check the In-App purchase details on AppStore or in the App itself • Your iTunes account will be charged for the purchase at the time of subscription purchase. • The subscription is renewed automatically, unless the automatic renewal is terminated at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. • Your iTunes account will be charged the same amount as the original subscription within 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. • Subscriptions can be managed and auto-renewal can be disabled in your iTunes account after the original purchase.

Screenshots

HIQ Commander4 screens
Visual Home4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HIQ Commander at none against Visual Home's 1. HIQ Commander also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.6). Visual Home's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 10 months). On price, ads 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. Visual Home sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.49 per month. HIQ Commander asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HIQ Commander ships an update every 10 months, Visual Home every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HIQ Commander versus Visual Home: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHIQ CommanderVisual Home
PriceFreeFree
Rating—1.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—12.5% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB14 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperCybrotech d.o.o.Andreas Binner

In-app purchases

None

HIQ Commander

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Visual Home

Subscriptions1
  • Advanced Features$1.491 Month

Questions

Is HIQ Commander free?
HIQ Commander is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Visual Home free?
Visual Home is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HIQ Commander or Visual Home have ads?
Neither HIQ Commander nor Visual Home shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HIQ Commander or Visual Home?
HIQ Commander ships an update every 10 months, and Visual Home every 4 months. Most recently, HIQ Commander was updated on October 26, 2026 and Visual Home on October 24, 2026.

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