Comparison

Home Assistant vs Xthings Home(formerly U home)

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

Head to head
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

About

Xthings Home(formerly U home)

Manage all your smart home devices from a single app. Control smart locks, cameras, lights, and more, with features for automation, security alerts, and shared access. Experience enhanced connectivity and privacy in a unified ecosystem.

Highlights
  • Unified smart device management
  • Scene automation and routines
  • Shared home access and permissions
  • Real-time security alerts
  • Control smart locks, lights, cameras, and sensors
  • Two-way intercom functionality
Features
Read full description

Xthings Home (formerly U home) is your all-in-one solution for smart home automation and security. Redesigned with a unified Xthings ecosystem, the app offers more powerful device management, smoother connectivity, and stronger privacy protection—while keeping the familiar features you love. With Xthings Home, you can easily manage all your smart devices from one place. Control ULTRALOQ smart locks, UTEC Matter-enabled lighting and power devices, Ulticam security cameras, and more. Lock or unlock doors, add users, view live camera feeds, use two-way intercom, adjust lighting, and automate your daily routines with ease. Smart Device Management Control all supported devices—including smart locks, smart lights, switches, plugs, cameras, and sensors—directly from the app. Enjoy quick setup, stable connectivity, and real-time status updates. Scene Automation Create custom automations that work across your devices. For example: “When I arrive home → unlock the door + turn on porch lights.” Build a smart home that adapts to your lifestyle. Shared Home Access Invite family members, roommates, or trusted guests. Share device access securely and manage permissions with granular control. Real-Time Security Alerts Receive instant notifications for lock activities, motion detection, door access events, automation triggers, and more—keeping your home protected at all times. Welcome to the New Xthings Home • U home has officially upgraded to Xthings Home • Developer changed to Xthings Industry LLC • All your existing devices, settings, and history remain intact • Improved performance, onboarding, and cloud reliability Experience the next generation of smart home convenience and security with Xthings Home.

Screenshots

Home Assistant4 screens
Xthings Home(formerly U home)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Home Assistant at every 10 days against Xthings Home(formerly U home)'s every 3 weeks. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

Home Assistant holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.1K and 8.2K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Home Assistant's written reviews are positive against 52% of Xthings Home(formerly U home)'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Home Assistant ships an update every 10 days, Xthings Home(formerly U home) every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Home Assistant versus Xthings Home(formerly U home): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHome AssistantXthings Home(formerly U home)
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (4.1K ratings) — better4.6 (8.2K ratings)
Positive reviews54.1% of reviews — better52.1% of reviews
Number of ratings4.1K8.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch
Requires iOS16.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size232 MB150 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperNabu Casa, IncXTHINGS INDUSTRY LLC

Customer experience

Home Assistant

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

Xthings Home(formerly U home)

All ratings8,069 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews507 reviews
Positive52.1%
Neutral12.0%
Negative35.9%

Bugs and requests

Home Assistant

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Xthings Home(formerly U home)

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Temporary users settings not saving
  • Admin login issues after updates
  • Inconsistent lock/unlock status reporting
  • Bluetooth connectivity problems
  • WiFi connectivity issues
Show 2 more
  • Fingerprint reader failures
  • Notifications not working as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Auto lock time extension
  • More customizable auto lock settings
  • Apple Home integration
  • Alexa/Google Home integration

In-app purchases

None

Home Assistant

No in-app purchases

None

Xthings Home(formerly U home)

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Home Assistant free?
Home Assistant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Xthings Home(formerly U home) free?
Xthings Home(formerly U home) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Home Assistant or Xthings Home(formerly U home)?
Home Assistant is rated higher. Home Assistant averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.1K ratings, while Xthings Home(formerly U home) averages 4.6 from 8.2K ratings.
Do Home Assistant or Xthings Home(formerly U home) have ads?
Neither Home Assistant nor Xthings Home(formerly U home) shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Home Assistant or Xthings Home(formerly U home)?
Home Assistant ships an update every 10 days, and Xthings Home(formerly U home) every 3 weeks. Most recently, Home Assistant was updated on November 6, 2026 and Xthings Home(formerly U home) on November 10, 2026.

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