# Controller for HomeKit vs Joint Maker Lab

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Joint Maker Lab at none against Controller for HomeKit's 10. Joint Maker Lab also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Controller for HomeKit's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and device support (5 vs 2). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Controller for HomeKit sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Joint Maker Lab asks for nothing beyond the download.

Controller for HomeKit ships an update every 10 days, Joint Maker Lab every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Controller for HomeKit | Joint Maker Lab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/controller-for-homekit/id1198176727/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 26.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 212 MB | 132 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [acasa Software GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/974663980) | [Power Mobile Life LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1096079944) |

## What reviewers say

### Controller for HomeKit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/controller-for-homekit/id1198176727)

Enhance your smart home experience with advanced control and automation. Visualize your home with floor plans, track device performance with charts, and create complex automations tailored to your needs. Organize devices, store setup codes, and monitor your entire smart home ecosystem.

**Highlights:** Floor plan visualization with LiDAR, Device performance charts, Complex automations and workflows, Custom notifications, Smart folders and filters, Setup code storage, Device maintenance and logs

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Controller Essentials | $4.99 | per month |
| Essentials Lifetime - Plus Addon | $4.99 | per month |
| Controller Plus | $8.99 | per month |
| Essentials Lifetime - Plus Addon | $39.99 | per year |
| Controller Essentials | $39.99 | per year |
| Controller Plus | $79.99 | per year |
| Controller Essentials Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |
| Controller Essentials Lifetime | $139.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful automation features
- 📚 Helpful backup and restore functionality
- 🔍 Detailed logging and troubleshooting
- 🧠 Advanced HomeKit control and customization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crash-prone
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🤖 Poor customer support
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive UI

**Reported bugs**

- Backup and restore issues
- Disappearing automations and accessories
- Compatibility problems with iOS 16.2
- Slow performance and unresponsiveness

**Requested features**

- Improved documentation and tutorials
- Better integration with Apple Home app
- Support for more HomeKit device types
- Ability to customize automation triggers


### Joint Maker Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joint-maker-lab/id6748891855)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Controller for HomeKit free?

Controller for HomeKit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Joint Maker Lab free?

Joint Maker Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Controller for HomeKit or Joint Maker Lab have ads?

Neither Controller for HomeKit nor Joint Maker Lab shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Controller for HomeKit or Joint Maker Lab?

Controller for HomeKit ships an update every 10 days, and Joint Maker Lab every 2 months. Most recently, Controller for HomeKit was updated on October 12, 2026 and Joint Maker Lab on October 11, 2026.

---

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