Comparison

Home Assistant vs BitLocal

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

BitLocal

Discover businesses that accept Bitcoin in your local area or while traveling. Browse an interactive map, search by category, and view detailed merchant information including payment methods and operating hours. Get daily alerts for new Bitcoin-friendly businesses in your chosen cities.

Highlights
  • Bitcoin merchant map
  • Search by name or category
  • View payment methods (on-chain, Lightning)
  • Detailed business information
  • Daily new business alerts
  • Discover Bitcoin communities
  • Customizable map preferences
Features
Read full description

BitLocal helps you find real-world places that accept bitcoin, whether you’re exploring your neighborhood, traveling, or looking for ways to support the circular bitcoin economy. Browse an interactive map of bitcoin-friendly businesses powered by BTC Map and OpenStreetMap data. Search by name or category, view nearby merchants, check accepted payment methods, and get the details you need before you go. BitLocal features: - Bitcoin merchant map: Find businesses near you or around the world with custom map markers and clustering. - Merchant search: Search for places by name or category, like coffee, ATM, food, shops, and more. - Payment details: See whether a business accepts bitcoin, on-chain payments, Lightning, or contactless Lightning. - Business info: View addresses, websites, phone numbers, opening hours, descriptions, verification status, and directions. - Merchant Alerts: Pick a city and get a daily morning digest when new bitcoin-friendly businesses appear there. - Bitcoin communities: Discover nearby bitcoin communities and regional activity. - Map preferences: Choose standard, satellite, or hybrid maps, plus light, dark, or system appearance. - iPhone and iPad support: Built for both devices. - Privacy-focused: No ads, no accounts, and no third-party tracking. BitLocal is free to use and built for people who want bitcoin to work in everyday life. Download BitLocal and discover where bitcoin is accepted near you.

Screenshots

Home Assistant4 screens
BitLocal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Home Assistant at 4K against BitLocal's 6. Home Assistant also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks) and device support (4 vs 2). BitLocal's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BitLocal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Home Assistant has 4K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Home Assistant ships an update every 10 days, BitLocal every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Home Assistant versus BitLocal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHome AssistantBitLocal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (4K ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings4K — better6
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size229 MB65 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNabu Casa, IncBrink 13 Labs, LLC

Customer experience

Home Assistant

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

BitLocal

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Home Assistant

No in-app purchases

None

BitLocal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Home Assistant free?
Home Assistant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BitLocal free?
BitLocal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Home Assistant or BitLocal?
BitLocal is rated higher. Home Assistant averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4K ratings, while BitLocal averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Home Assistant or BitLocal have ads?
Neither Home Assistant nor BitLocal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Home Assistant or BitLocal?
Home Assistant ships an update every 10 days, and BitLocal every 5 weeks. Most recently, Home Assistant was updated on October 26, 2026 and BitLocal on October 24, 2026.

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