# Aqara Home vs Narwal

The clearest difference is rating: Aqara Home at 4.7 against Narwal's 3.7. Aqara Home also leads on ratings volume (7.3K vs 617). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Aqara Home holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aqara Home has 7.3K ratings behind it against 617, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 41% and 41% positive.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aqara Home | Narwal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aqara-home/id1248669703/reviews)** | [3.7 (617 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/narwal/id1636748263/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 617 |
| Positive reviews | **41.4% of reviews** | 41.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 539 MB | 322 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aqara Software Service Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1621241561) | [Yunjing Intelligence Innovation (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462004351) |

## What reviewers say

### Aqara Home

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aqara-home/id1248669703)

Manage and automate your smart home devices remotely. Control lights, monitor sensors, and create custom scenes and automations for a more convenient living experience. Supports a wide range of smart home accessories.

**Highlights:** Remote control of smart accessories, Create homes and rooms, Monitor appliance status and environmental data, Automate actions with timers and triggers, Create scenes for multi-device control, Siri integration for voice control

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy setup
- 👍 User-friendly app
- 🔒 Reliable hardware
- 💡 Extensive automation capabilities
- 🚀 Seamless HomeKit integration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with crashes and glitches
- 👎 Confusing and unintuitive UI
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🚫 Lack of dark mode
- 🚫 Unreliable notifications

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on opening
- Devices disappearing from app
- Incorrect temperature/humidity readings
- Delayed or missing doorbell notifications
- Inability to delete detection zones

**Requested features**

- Add sunset/sunrise automation
- Improve camera timeline scrubbing
- Enable 12-hour time format
- Provide more customization options
- Improve Alexa/Google Home integration


### Narwal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/narwal/id1636748263)

Remotely control and monitor your cleaning robot from anywhere. Customize cleaning modes, schedules, and spot cleaning for a spotless home. Receive detailed cleaning reports and manage room layouts with no-go zones.

**Highlights:** Remote control and monitoring, Multiple cleaning modes, Customized cleaning plans, Spot cleaning functionality, Map management with no-go zones, Customized cleaning reports

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great machine, easy to operate
- 👍 Dependable and helps with allergies
- 💡 Excellent app and device
- 👍 Fantastic cleaning performance
- 👍 Seamless on hardwood and carpets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Mapping and room splitting issues
- 🐛 Connectivity problems with app
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
- 🐛 Difficult to use app interface
- 🐛 Lack of push notifications and status updates

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes
- Connectivity issues between app and robot
- Mapping errors and inability to edit maps
- Unreliable scheduling and cleaning tasks
- Unexpected robot behavior and getting stuck

**Requested features**

- Ability to split rooms and create custom zones
- Improved mapping and room editing features
- More scheduling options (e.g., every 2 weeks, monthly)
- Integration with voice assistants
- Ability to order replacement parts directly from the app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aqara Home free?

Aqara Home is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Narwal free?

Narwal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Aqara Home or Narwal?

Aqara Home is rated higher. Aqara Home averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while Narwal averages 3.7 from 617 ratings.

### Do Aqara Home or Narwal have ads?

Neither Aqara Home nor Narwal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Aqara Home or Narwal?

Aqara Home ships an update every 2 weeks, and Narwal every 2 weeks. Most recently, Aqara Home was updated on September 24, 2026 and Narwal on September 25, 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.*