# Home Assistant vs Meross

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Home Assistant at none against Meross's 8. Home Assistant also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Meross's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 54%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Meross sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Home Assistant asks for nothing beyond the download.

Home Assistant holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.9K and 7.8K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of Home Assistant's written reviews are positive against 78% of Meross's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Home Assistant ships an update every 10 days, Meross fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Home Assistant | Meross |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-assistant/id1099568401/reviews)** | [4.5 (7.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meross/id1260842951/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3.9K | **7.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 53.8% of reviews | **78.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 252 MB | 231 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nabu Casa, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1525301324) | [Chengdu Meross Technology Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1260842710) |

## What reviewers say

### Home Assistant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-assistant/id1099568401)

Control your entire smart home from one app, locally and privately. Automate devices, receive notifications, and manage your home's data securely. Integrates with thousands of smart devices and open standards.

**Highlights:** Control entire home from one app, Discover and configure new devices, Automate device actions, Local data privacy, Connect to open standards (Z-Wave, Zigbee, Matter), Remote access via Home Assistant Cloud, Location-based automation

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Meross

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meross/id1260842951)

Control and manage a wide range of smart home devices remotely. Set schedules, create custom scenes, and integrate with voice assistants for automated control. Access troubleshooting guides, firmware updates, and community forums for support.

**Highlights:** Remote device control, Custom schedules and scenes, Voice assistant integration, Firmware updates, In-app hardware guides, Consumer forum

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 SMS for a month | $0.99 | per month |
| 优惠测试-月 | $1.99 | per month |
| 优惠测试-年 | $1.99 | per year |
| 优惠测试-周 | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| 30 SMS for a month | $2.49 | per month |
| 100 SMS for a month | $6.99 | per month |
| 30 SMS | $3.49 | one-time |
| 100 SMS | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🚀 Reliable and stable performance
- 💡 Useful features like power consumption monitoring
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 🔌 Seamless integration with smart home platforms

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connectivity issues and device disconnections
- 🔧 Setup can be tricky at times
- 📱 Limited customization options in the app
- 🕰️ Routines and scheduling could be more flexible

**Reported bugs**

- Unreliable garage door status reporting
- Compatibility issues with iOS 16 updates
- Inconsistent device discovery and pairing

**Requested features**

- Add support for more smart home platforms
- Improve app interface and allow for more customization
- Enhance scheduling and automation features
- Provide more detailed energy consumption reporting


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Home Assistant free?

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

### Is Meross free?

Meross is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Home Assistant or Meross?

Home Assistant is rated higher. Home Assistant averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while Meross averages 4.5 from 7.8K ratings.

### Do Home Assistant or Meross have ads?

Neither Home Assistant nor Meross shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Home Assistant or Meross?

Home Assistant ships an update every 10 days, and Meross fortnightly. Most recently, Home Assistant was updated on September 26, 2026 and Meross on September 26, 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.*