Comparison

Thinka Companion vs Home Assistant

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

Head to head
About

Thinka Companion

Effortlessly set up Apple HomeKit by automatically synchronizing your home layout from your Thinka device. This app eliminates the need to manually assign accessories to rooms, supporting both KNX and Z-Wave configurations.

Highlights
  • Automatic home layout synchronization
  • Apple HomeKit integration
  • Supports Thinka for KNX
  • Supports Thinka for Z-Wave
  • Effortless accessory room assignment
Features
Read full description

Thinka Setup is the companion app for the Thinka smart-home bridge. It’s the fastest way to bring your Z-Wave and KNX devices into Apple HomeKit and keep them in sync as your home grows. WHAT THINKA SETUP DOES • Discovers every Thinka on your Wi-Fi automatically — no IP addresses, no manual configuration. • Pairs your Thinka into the HomeKit home of your choice, using Apple’s secure pairing flow. • Syncs the Thinka’s internal accessory list with HomeKit so all your Z-Wave and KNX devices appear natively in the Home app and Siri. • Adds new Z-Wave devices with SmartStart by scanning their QR code — no controller inclusion mode, no walking back and forth. • Manages multiple Thinkas from one place, whether you have one bridge in an apartment or a fleet across a building. BUILT FOR IOS 26 Thinka Setup has been rebuilt from the ground up in SwiftUI and Swift 6, with Apple’s modern concurrency model end-to-end. Discovery, pairing, and sync all run as first-class async streams — the UI stays responsive even while a large home is being synced for the first time. REMOTE SUPPORT, ON YOUR TERMS Need a hand from Thinka support? A single toggle opens a secure, authenticated tunnel so a Thinka engineer can inspect your bridge — and the same toggle closes it when you’re done. Nothing is ever left open in the background. VACATION MODE Heading away? Enable Vacation Mode from the app and Thinka will simulate presence for you. Turn it off from anywhere with one tap when you get home. PRIVACY Thinka Setup talks to your Thinka on your local network and to Apple HomeKit on your device. Your accessory data does not leave your home. See our privacy policy at https://thinka.eu/privacy. REQUIREMENTS • iOS 26 or later • A Thinka Z-Wave or KNX bridge on the same Wi-Fi network • An Apple ID with iCloud + HomeKit enabled

About

Home Assistant

Control your smart home devices from anywhere with this open-source solution. Automate routines, monitor your home's status, and integrate thousands of devices for enhanced privacy and sustainability.

Highlights
  • Control thousands of smart devices
  • Automate home routines
  • Discover and configure new devices
  • Securely share location for automation
  • Receive home status notifications
  • Build custom widgets
  • Integrate with voice assistants
Features
Read full description

The Home Assistant Companion app allows you to access your Home Assistant instance on the go. Home Assistant is the smart home solution focused on privacy, choice, and sustainability. It runs locally in your home via a device like the Home Assistant Green or Raspberry Pi. This app connects to all the most powerful features of Home Assistant, - One app to control the whole home - Home Assistant is compatible with the biggest brands in the smart home, connecting to thousands of smart devices and services. - Discover automatically and quickly configure new devices - such as Philips Hue, Sonos, and IKEA Tradfri. - Automate everything - Make all the devices in your home work in harmony - have your lights dim when you start watching a movie, or turn off your heat when you’re away from home. - Keep your home’s data in the home - use it privately to see past trends and averages. - Connect to open standards with hardware add-ons - including Z-Wave, Zigbee, Matter, Thread, and Bluetooth. - Connect anywhere - If you would like to access this app while away from home, the most secure and simple way to get started is Home Assistant Cloud. The app unlocks your smartphone or tablet as a home automation tool. - Securely share your location, using it to automate heating, security, and so much more. - Get notifications on what's happening in your home, from detecting leaks to doors left open, you have full control over what it tells you. - Carplay functionality lets you open a garage or disable the security system from the dash of your car. - Build your own widgets to control any device in your home with a tap. - Integrate Home Assistant's functionality into Shortcuts, for example have your phone’s morning alarm turn on the coffee machine. - Apple Watch compatibility can show your home's temperature on a watch face or quickly activate devices. - Text or talk to your local voice assistant on your device. - Mac compatibility allows you to control your home from your desktop, but also to share data to build automation, like having your streaming lights turn on when your camera is active. Join the over 1 million users and empower your home with better privacy, choice and sustainability. Compatible with: Airthings, Amazon Alexa, Amcrest, Apple HomeKit, Apple TV, ASUSWRT, August, Belink WeMo, Bluetooth, Bose SoundTouch, Broadlink, BTHome, deCONZ, Denon, Devolo, DLNA, Ecobee, Ecovacs, Ecowitt, Elgato, EZVIZ, Fritz, Fully Kiosk, GoodWe, Govee, Growatt, Hikvision, Hive, Home Connect, Homematic, HomeWizard, Honeywell, iCloud, IFTTT, IKEA Tradfri, Insteon, Jellyfin, LG Smart TVs, LIFX, Logitech Harmony, Lutron Caseta, Magic Home, Matter, MotionEye, MQTT, MusicCast, Nanoleaf, Netatmo, Nuki, OctoPrint, ONVIF, Opower, Overkiz, OwnTracks, Panasonic Viera, Philips Hue, Pi-hole, Plex, Reolink, Ring, Roborock, Roku, Samsung TVs, Sense, Sensiba, Shelly, SmartThings, SolarEdge, Sonarr, Sonos, Sony Bravia, Spotify, Steam, SwitchBot, Synology, Tado, Tasmota, Tesla Wall, Thread, Tile, TP-Link Smart Home, Tuya, UniFi, UPnP, Verisure, Vizio, Wallbox, WebRTC, WiZ, WLED, Xbox, Xiaomi BLE, Yale, Yeelight, YoLink, Z-Wave, Zigbe

Screenshots

Thinka Companion4 screens
Home Assistant4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Home Assistant at every 10 days against Thinka Companion's every 2 months. Home Assistant also leads on review sentiment (54% vs 33%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Thinka Companion ships an update every 2 months, Home Assistant every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Thinka Companion versus Home Assistant: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThinka CompanionHome Assistant
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (4.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews54.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—4.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS26.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB232 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperZilverline B.V.Nabu Casa, Inc

Customer experience

Thinka Companion

Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Home Assistant

All ratings4,037 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral1.6%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews516 reviews
Positive54.1%
Neutral8.9%
Negative37.0%

In-app purchases

None

Thinka Companion

No in-app purchases

None

Home Assistant

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Thinka Companion free?
Thinka Companion is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Home Assistant free?
Home Assistant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Thinka Companion or Home Assistant have ads?
Neither Thinka Companion nor Home Assistant shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Thinka Companion or Home Assistant?
Thinka Companion ships an update every 2 months, and Home Assistant every 10 days. Most recently, Thinka Companion was updated on November 2, 2026 and Home Assistant on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons