# Controller for HomeKit vs Aura Maintain

The clearest difference is update cadence: Controller for HomeKit at every 10 days against Aura Maintain's every 3 months. Controller for HomeKit also leads on device support (5 vs 3). Aura Maintain's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Controller for HomeKit sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Aura Maintain sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Controller for HomeKit ships an update every 10 days, Aura Maintain every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Controller for HomeKit | Aura Maintain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | 26.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 210 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [acasa Software GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/974663980) | [Justin Cohen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886850944) |

## 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


### Aura Maintain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aura-maintain/id6761618481)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Standard | $4.99 | per month |
| Pro | $9.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Controller for HomeKit free?

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

### Is Aura Maintain free?

Aura Maintain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Controller for HomeKit or Aura Maintain have ads?

Neither Controller for HomeKit nor Aura Maintain shows ads.

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

Controller for HomeKit ships an update every 10 days, and Aura Maintain every 3 months. Most recently, Controller for HomeKit was updated on October 15, 2026 and Aura Maintain on September 30, 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.*