# Home Assistant vs Tom AI

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Home Assistant at none against Tom AI's 4. Home Assistant also leads on ratings volume (4K vs 27) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). Tom AI's advantage is review sentiment (83% vs 54%). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tom AI sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Home Assistant asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Home Assistant against 4.7 for Tom AI. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Home Assistant has 4K ratings behind it against 27, 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 83% of Tom AI's.

Home Assistant ships an update every 10 days, Tom AI every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Home Assistant | Tom AI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-assistant/id1099568401/reviews)** | [4.7 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tom-ai/id6449241580/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4K** | 27 |
| Positive reviews | 54.3% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 229 MB | 205 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Nabu Casa, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1525301324) | [christophe chaland](https://appshunter.io/developer/964555358) |

## 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


### Tom AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tom-ai/id6449241580)

This voice-driven AI assistant offers specialized modes for chatting, brainstorming, note-taking, translation, definitions, and hands-free video recording. It features CarPlay integration and local data storage for enhanced privacy and organization.

**Highlights:** Intuitive wheel interface for mode selection, Specialized modes: Chat, Brainstorm, Notes, Interpret, Dictionary, Reel, Dual AI (Tom & Max) for idea generation and challenges, Voice-driven interactions, CarPlay integration, Local data storage, Hands-free video recording

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Unlimited Access | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Bring your own key | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly Unlimited Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Access | $249.00 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Home Assistant free?

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

### Is Tom AI free?

Tom AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Home Assistant or Tom AI?

Home Assistant is rated higher. Home Assistant averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4K ratings, while Tom AI averages 4.7 from 27 ratings.

### Do Home Assistant or Tom AI have ads?

Neither Home Assistant nor Tom AI shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Home Assistant or Tom AI?

Home Assistant ships an update every 10 days, and Tom AI every 3 weeks. Most recently, Home Assistant was updated on October 24, 2026 and Tom AI 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.*