# Home Assistant vs BitLocal

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.

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

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Home Assistant | BitLocal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-assistant/id1099568401/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bitlocal-btc-shops/id6447485666/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 54.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 229 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nabu Casa, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1525301324) | [Brink 13 Labs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1195709200) |

## 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


### BitLocal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bitlocal-btc-shops/id6447485666)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*