# Home Assistant vs Refoss

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Refoss at 87% against Home Assistant's 54%. Refoss also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). Home Assistant's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (4K vs 125). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Home Assistant holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Home Assistant has 4K ratings behind it against 125, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of Home Assistant's written reviews are positive against 87% of Refoss'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, Refoss every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 12, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Home Assistant | Refoss |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-assistant/id1099568401/reviews)** | [4.5 (125 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/refoss/id1662335679/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4K** | 125 |
| Positive reviews | 54.2% of reviews | **87.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 261 MB | 224 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) | [FLEXBEE HK LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1655869340) |

## 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


### Refoss

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/refoss/id1662335679)

Control and manage your home automation devices remotely. Schedule device operations, monitor their status, and integrate with voice assistants for hands-free control. Enjoy peace of mind knowing your electronics are managed efficiently.

**Highlights:** Remote on/off control, Automated work plans, Voice assistant integration, Device status monitoring, Manage smart plugs

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to set up
- 🚀 Works well
- 🚀 Reliable
- 🚀 Precise measurements
- 🚀 Responsive app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent disconnections
- 🐛 Incorrect status reporting
- 🐛 Buggy app
- 🐛 Unreliable door control
- 🐛 Confusing setup process

**Reported bugs**

- App frequently loses login credentials
- Incorrect door status reporting
- Failure to connect and control devices
- Outdated app version not allowing new features

**Requested features**

- Ability to set different electricity rates based on time of day and day of week
- More detailed energy consumption data (hourly/minute-level)
- Apple Watch app
- CarPlay integration
- Ability to pause/stop door operation mid-cycle


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Home Assistant free?

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

### Is Refoss free?

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

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

Home Assistant is rated higher. Home Assistant averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4K ratings, while Refoss averages 4.5 from 125 ratings.

### Do Home Assistant or Refoss have ads?

Neither Home Assistant nor Refoss shows ads.

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

Home Assistant ships an update every 10 days, and Refoss every 5 weeks. Most recently, Home Assistant was updated on October 12, 2026 and Refoss on October 12, 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.*