# Controller for HomeKit vs Orchidarium

The clearest difference is price: Controller for HomeKit at Free against Orchidarium's $4.99. Controller for HomeKit also leads on ratings volume (2.8K vs 1) and device support (5 vs 2). Orchidarium's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). On ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Controller for HomeKit is free to download; Orchidarium costs $4.99 up front. Controller for HomeKit sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Orchidarium asks for nothing beyond the download.

Orchidarium holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Controller for HomeKit has 2.8K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Controller for HomeKit ships an update every 2 weeks, Orchidarium every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Controller for HomeKit | Orchidarium |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.1 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/controller-for-homekit/id1198176727/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orchidarium/id6759452888/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.8K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 28.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 219 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [acasa Software GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/974663980) | [Ryan Petrello](https://appshunter.io/developer/1878681681) |

## 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, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| 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 Plus Lifetime | $179.99 | 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


### Orchidarium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orchidarium/id6759452888)

This app helps orchid enthusiasts catalog and manage their collections. Track detailed plant information, organize by custom groups, and maintain a visual history of each orchid's growth and care.

**Highlights:** Catalog detailed orchid information, Organize plants into custom collections, Attach multiple photos to each orchid, Log acquisition, blooming, and repotting dates, Search entire collection by various criteria, Local data storage with iCloud backup

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**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 Orchidarium free?

Orchidarium costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Controller for HomeKit or Orchidarium?

Orchidarium is rated higher. Controller for HomeKit averages 4.1 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while Orchidarium averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Controller for HomeKit or Orchidarium have ads?

Neither Controller for HomeKit nor Orchidarium shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Controller for HomeKit or Orchidarium?

Controller for HomeKit ships an update every 2 weeks, and Orchidarium every 2 days. Most recently, Controller for HomeKit was updated on October 29, 2026 and Orchidarium 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.*