Comparison

Homebridge for RaspberryPi vs Pi

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Homebridge for RaspberryPi

Transform your home into a smart home using a Raspberry Pi. This app bridges your iPhone with various devices like lights and TVs, simplifying setup and management. It guides you through software installation and offers remote control and debugging features.

Highlights
  • Raspberry Pi setup and software installation
  • Wi-Fi and device configuration
  • Plugin installation and management
  • Remote Pi control (reboot, restart services)
  • Software update management
  • Error log viewing and debugging
  • Network scanning and device identification
Features
Read full description

Finally it's here and the only one in the entire AppStore - Homebridge App! With Homebridge you can easily and cheap turn your entire home into a futuristic smart home. Everything is controlled by you and your iPhone while Homerbidge works as a bridge between Apple's HomeKit on your iPhone / iPad and your devices like your TV, light, game console, jalousies, and and and. All you need is a tiny and cheap PC called "RaspberryPi" - But don't worry this App will support you with supported projects and a bunch of software, which will be installed by this App, so you will be guided and don't need any deep PC-nerd-experinces. With the great Homebridge-App you'll have fun to: • Setup your brand new RaspberryPi (1, 2, 3, 3+ and Zero) with our preconfigured version of the open source installer "NOOBS". • Install and setup all relevant software on your RaspberryPi with just a single tap on the App • Automatically configure your RaspberryPi's WiFi, etc. • Install amazing Plug-Ins for Homebridge from our tiny Plug-In store • Coming soon: Follow awesome Homebridge-Projects, supported with shopping-lists and 1-click-installations and setup Control. Your. Pi. • Reboot your Pi • Restart Homebridge • Update all required software components (OS, Node, NPM, Homebridge, Plugins, etc.) • Easily manage your Wifi-networks • View all Homebridge-PlugIns (NPM) at a glance • View all Homebridge error- and system-logs. • Debug-Mode: Homebridge is not working, also after using our famous Auto-Repair function? Run Homebridge in the debugger to quickly determine, where the problem is. • Networkscanner to easily find and identify your devices • Create backups of your settings and configurations • Fallback: Enjoy a build in SSH-Terminal, if you like. Easy Setup plugins First of all, you can add every NPM plugin you like using the Homebridge App and a graphical and easy to use generic interface. However we've prepared a nice and shiny specialized interface for the most popular and important plugins including: • Fritz! • WeMo • Wake on LAN • Domoticz • HarmonyHub • HomeAssistant • HomeMatic • Hue • LiFx • People (Wifi device trigger) • Relay • Remote Outlet • Sonos • Synology • Telldus • Tradfri Let's get nerdy: Each member of our developer team loves the RaspberryPi with all varieties. But sometimes it's very exhausting and frustrating to set up the whole software and keep track everything is running, so we build this amazing App! What we do for you: • setup your brand new RaspberryPi or connect to your existing one • setup Homebridge incl. service, configuration and all kind of plugins available with NPM • manage your SystemCtl or init.d service • edit your config.json graphically just from the App without any terminal, etc., also for not supported plugins and platforms • keep track of your Pi, the homebridge-service, homebridge-pin, homebridge-logs, etc. so everything is just working and can be restarted / repaired if necessary coming soon: connect your Pi to the HomeKit Homebridge on a Mac There are already users, which are using this App with a Homebridge server running on a Mac. However we strongly recommend using the App with a RaspberryPi (1, 2, 3, Zero) and do not support servers, running on other machines including the Mac. We need your help! Did you see awesome Homebridge-Pi projects or Homebride-plug-ins, we should implement in our App for easy setup? Just text us to: support@nvw-dev.com

About

Pi

Manage your Pi-hole network ad blocker from any Apple device. Monitor DNS queries, control blocking, and manage lists and settings. Offers interactive widgets and Siri integration for quick access.

Highlights
  • Remote Pi-hole management
  • DNS query monitoring
  • Ad blocking control
  • List and domain management
  • Interactive widgets
  • Siri integration
  • Multi-device support
Features
Read full description

Take full control of your Pi-hole from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Monitor your network, inspect DNS queries, manage blocking and lists, and control multiple Pi-hole instances from anywhere in the Apple ecosystem. *Disable Blocking* Quickly disable blocking from the app, interactive Home Screen widgets, your Apple Watch, or Siri. You'll see a Live Activity for the duration to remind you blocking is disabled! *Statistics & Queries* Look up what domains are queried most on your network, as well as clients that send out the most requests. View your Query Log as well as a 'Live Log' which shows queries on your network in real time. *Blocked Services* Want to quickly restrict access to Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Roblox, and more? Block all kinds of services effortlessly with just one tap. *Manage Your Pi-hole* Manage Clients & Groups, Domains & Adlists, and change all kinds of Pi-hole settings such as DNS/DHCP settings. *Interactive Widgets & Live Activity* Choose from a wide range of Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets that show your Pi-hole status or statistics. There are also interactive widgets to disable blocking without opening the app! When you disable blocking, you will even see a Live Activity on your Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, and Smart Stack. *Controls* Quickly toggle blocking right from your Lock Screen, Control Center, or Action Button. *Made for the Apple Ecosystem* Use Pi-hole Remote across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Your instances and preferences stay available across your devices through iCloud. Purchase Pi-hole Remote+ once and unlock it on every supported platform. == iPhone, iPad, and Mac features: - Enable or temporarily disable Pi-hole blocking - View detailed statistics and combined data from multiple instances - Search and filter your Query Log or watch queries appear in real time - Add domains to your allowlist or denylist, individually or in bulk - Block entire services such as social networks, streaming platforms, and games - Manage clients, groups, domains, adlists, DNS, and DHCP settings - Update Gravity and manage your Pi-hole configuration - Add and control an unlimited number of Pi-hole instances - Choose where each instance appears based on your Wi-Fi network - Connect securely using HTTPS, reverse proxies, custom paths, and custom headers - Use interactive widgets, Live Activities, and Lock Screen or Control Center controls - Control Pi-hole with Siri, App Shortcuts, Spotlight, and the Action Button - Sync settings and selected Pi-hole data between instances - Personalize the app with custom colors and alternative icons - Enjoy dedicated layouts for iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Full VoiceOver and Dark Mode support Apple Watch features: - View status and statistics, control one or all instances, access Blocked Services, and use complications and Live Activities Apple TV features: - View statistics and queries, control blocking and services, and switch between or combine instances on the big screen == Note: You need at least one working Pi-hole instance running on another device for this app to function and you must use Pi-hole Version 6.0 or up. Pi-hole Remote is a third-party app which uses the Pi-hole API and is in no way affiliated with Pi-hole. Find out more about Pi-hole at https://pi-hole.net/. This app offers a "Pi-hole Remote+" version with additional features, in the form of a lifetime purchase, a monthly subscription, or a yearly subscription. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period and will be charged to your App Store account. You can turn off auto-renew or manage subscriptions in your App Store account settings after purchase. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Homebridge for RaspberryPi4 screens
Pi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pi at 88% against Homebridge for RaspberryPi's 39%. Pi also leads on price (Free vs $6.99) and rating (4.8 vs 4.1). Homebridge for RaspberryPi's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.0). On ads 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

Pi is free to download; Homebridge for RaspberryPi costs $6.99 up front. Pi sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Homebridge for RaspberryPi asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pi holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pi has 1.3K ratings behind it against 216, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Homebridge for RaspberryPi's written reviews are positive against 88% of Pi's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Homebridge for RaspberryPi ships an update every 5 weeks, Pi every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
Homebridge for RaspberryPi versus Pi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHomebridge for RaspberryPiPi
Price$6.99Free — better
Rating4.1 (216 ratings)4.8 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews38.6% of reviews88.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2161.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB85 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNiklas von WeiheRocketScience IT

Customer experience

Homebridge for RaspberryPi

All ratings216 ratings
Positive79.2%
Neutral6.0%
Negative14.8%
Written reviews132 reviews
Positive38.6%
Neutral10.6%
Negative50.8%

Pi

All ratings1,257 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.4%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews412 reviews
Positive88.1%
Neutral4.4%
Negative7.5%

User reviews

Homebridge for RaspberryPi

From 216 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Simplifies Homebridge setup
  • 💡 Useful management features
  • 🔒 Stable and reliable

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 🔌 Compatibility problems with existing Homebridge installations
  • 🤔 Lacks documentation and guidance
  • 💰 Overpriced for limited functionality

Pi

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Amazing app!!
  • 🚀 Excellent app
  • 🚀 Perfect for managing Pi-hole
  • 🚀 Brilliant
  • 🚀 Great app to keep an eye on things

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Disappointing
  • 🔍 Pulled a bait-and-switch with paid features
  • 🔍 Widget unreliable
  • 🔍 Replaced block percentage with clients
  • 🔍 Unusable if not upgraded to pihole v6

Bugs and requests

Homebridge for RaspberryPi

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unable to connect to Raspberry Pi
  • Homebridge fails to run after installation
  • Plugins not detected or installed properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Support for more Homebridge plugins
  • Ability to manually edit configuration files
  • Docker support
  • Better update and troubleshooting tools

Pi

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Crashes when pressing certain options
  • Unable to reach Pi Hole after configuration
  • Statistics screen crashes the app
  • Widgets not working
  • Live Logs not working properly
Show 2 more
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices

Requested features

13 requests
  • Add and remove adlists from the internet
  • DHCP management, like assign static IPs, change host names of devices
  • Change other pihole settings, like upstream DNS servers
  • A command line interface
  • Group management, I.e. the ability to whitelist or blacklist certain domains only for certain groups of devices, and to be able to create new groups and edit which devices are in each group
Show 8 more
  • Option to style query bar graph as stacked bar graph colored by client
  • Notification to update pihole
  • Ability to update the OS and pihole from the app
  • Wildcard support for the whitelist
  • View DHCP Leases or add reservations
  • Query Log
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard

In-app purchases

None

Homebridge for RaspberryPi

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Pi

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly PHR+$0.991 Month
  • PHR+ Yearly$4.991 Year
One-time5
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Medium Tip$3.99
  • Large Tip$6.99
Show 2 more
  • PHR+ Lifetime$11.99
  • Huge Tip$17.99

Questions

Is Homebridge for RaspberryPi free?
Homebridge for RaspberryPi costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pi free?
Pi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Homebridge for RaspberryPi or Pi?
Pi is rated higher. Homebridge for RaspberryPi averages 4.1 out of 5 from 216 ratings, while Pi averages 4.8 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Homebridge for RaspberryPi or Pi have ads?
Neither Homebridge for RaspberryPi nor Pi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Homebridge for RaspberryPi or Pi?
Homebridge for RaspberryPi ships an update every 5 weeks, and Pi every 2 weeks. Most recently, Homebridge for RaspberryPi was updated on November 2, 2026 and Pi on November 7, 2026.

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