Comparison

Home Assistant vs Whisker

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 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
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

Whisker

Remotely monitor and control your WiFi-enabled pet devices, including litter boxes and feeders. Receive real-time alerts, track usage insights, and manage schedules from anywhere. Enhance your pet care routine with smart technology.

Highlights
  • Real-time alerts for device status
  • Remote control of device functions
  • Usage insights and trend tracking
  • Flexible feeding schedules
  • Multi-robot management
  • On-demand pet treat dispensing
Features
Read full description

The Whisker app uses our proprietary WhiskerOS™ software to allow you to remotely monitor and control your WiFi-enabled Whisker device. Use the Whisker app to monitor, control, and get insights from your Whisker devices—including Litter-Robot and Feeder-Robot—anytime, anywhere. Works with Litter-Robot 3 Connect, Litter-Robot 4, Litter-Robot 5, Litter-Robot 5 Pro, Litter-Robot EVO, PetTag, and Feeder-Robot. Litter-Robot features - Real-time alerts: Know when a cycle starts, pauses, or the drawer needs emptying. - Litter & waste status: See litter level and waste drawer status at a glance. - Usage insights: Track trends that help you monitor your cat's routine. - Remote controls: Adjust cycle delay time, lock the control panel, toggle night light, or schedule sleep mode. - Multi-robot support: Set up and manage multiple units in one place. Feeder-Robot features - Flexible schedules: Create and edit feeding schedules from your phone. - Snack on demand: Dispense a snack anytime, wherever you are. - Low-food & issue alerts: Get notified when food is low or if the feeder needs attention. - Feeding insights: View weekly and monthly trends. Setup & requirements - Camera permission for QR code onboarding. - Wi-Fi: Visible, password-protected IPv4 network. All models support 2.4 GHz; 5 GHz is supported on select Pro models only. Use 2.4 GHz for all others. - Location Services: Enable during onboarding to help the app find your Wi-Fi network. Features may vary by device and model.

Screenshots

Home Assistant4 screens
Whisker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Home Assistant at free against Whisker's free with in-app purchases. Home Assistant also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). Whisker's advantage is ratings volume (149K vs 4K). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Home Assistant against 4.8 for Whisker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Whisker has 149K ratings behind it against 4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of Home Assistant's written reviews are positive against 52% of Whisker's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Home Assistant ships an update every 10 days, Whisker every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Home Assistant versus Whisker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHome AssistantWhisker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (4K ratings)4.8 (149K ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.3% of reviews — better51.9% of reviews
Number of ratings4K149K — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.415.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size229 MB169 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNabu Casa, IncAutomated Pet Care Products Inc. dba AutoPets

Customer experience

Home Assistant

All ratings4,010 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral1.6%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews514 reviews
Positive54.3%
Neutral8.6%
Negative37.2%

Whisker

All ratings148,697 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews1,161 reviews
Positive51.9%
Neutral11.3%
Negative36.9%

Bugs and requests

Home Assistant

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Whisker

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App frequently disconnects from litter box
  • App fails to properly register litter box
  • Litter box gets stuck in cleaning cycle

Requested features

4 requests
  • Customizable cleaning cycle settings
  • Ability to identify which cat used the litter box
  • Improved app stability and responsiveness
  • Better integration with smart home devices

In-app purchases

None

Home Assistant

No in-app purchases

None

Whisker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Home Assistant free?
Home Assistant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Whisker free?
Whisker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Home Assistant or Whisker?
Whisker is rated higher. Home Assistant averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4K ratings, while Whisker averages 4.8 from 149K ratings.
Do Home Assistant or Whisker have ads?
Neither Home Assistant nor Whisker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Home Assistant or Whisker?
Home Assistant ships an update every 10 days, and Whisker every 3 weeks. Most recently, Home Assistant was updated on October 26, 2026 and Whisker on October 27, 2026.

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