# Home Assistant vs Access Control by Shelly

The clearest difference is update cadence: Home Assistant at every 10 days against Access Control by Shelly's every 2 months. Home Assistant also leads on device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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 ships an update every 10 days, Access Control by Shelly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Home Assistant | Access Control by Shelly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-assistant/id1099568401/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 54.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 232 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nabu Casa, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1525301324) | [SHELLY EUROPE EOOD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1521653049) |

## What reviewers say

### Home Assistant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-assistant/id1099568401)

Control your smart home devices from anywhere with this open-source solution. Automate routines, monitor your home's status, and integrate thousands of devices for enhanced privacy and sustainability.

**Highlights:** Control thousands of smart devices, Automate home routines, Discover and configure new devices, Securely share location for automation, Receive home status notifications, Build custom widgets, Integrate with voice assistants

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Access Control by Shelly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/access-control-by-shelly/id6474441948)

**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 Access Control by Shelly free?

Access Control by Shelly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Home Assistant or Access Control by Shelly have ads?

Neither Home Assistant nor Access Control by Shelly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Home Assistant or Access Control by Shelly?

Home Assistant ships an update every 10 days, and Access Control by Shelly every 2 months. Most recently, Home Assistant was updated on November 6, 2026 and Access Control by Shelly on November 8, 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.*