Powerpal vs Holman Home
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Powerpal
Monitor your home's real-time energy consumption and track historical usage. Set monthly spending targets, receive alerts, and get tips to optimize energy use and save money. Integrates with time-of-use tariffs for further savings.
- Real-time power usage display
- Historical energy consumption tracking
- Monthly spend target setting
- On-target and off-track alerts
- Energy-saving tips
- Time-of-use tariff integration
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Wouldn’t it be great to know how much it costs to run your air conditioning? Or the heater? Or the lights the kids are constantly leaving on upstairs? With Powerpal you can see how your energy use changes when you turn on and off your home appliances, so you can take control of how you want to use energy in your home. The Powerpal app reveals your power usage in real-time and keeps track of your history, helping you to make better decisions about the way you use energy. With Powerpal you can set a monthly spend target and see how you’re tracking in real time. You’ll receive alerts to tell you if you’re on target, and get some tips to get back on track if you’re not. By combining Powerpal with a time of use tariff you could access cheaper energy during off-peak times. Simple changes like running your dishwasher after 10pm can add up to big savings on your bill. For information about how to order your Powerpal in Australia visit https://www.powerpal.net
Holman Home
Control your garden watering and lighting systems remotely from anywhere in the world. Schedule watering, adjust settings, and monitor weather conditions with smart sensors for optimal garden care. Easy DIY installation for a connected outdoor space.
- Remote garden product control
- Schedule watering cycles
- Manual zone control
- Smart sensor integration
- Garden lighting scene customization
- Weather monitoring and data graphs
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With the Holman Home app you can use your smartphone to control all the programming and interface functions of a continually increasing range of Holman and K-Rain garden products via a permanent internet (and Wi-Fi) connection, you can then control the device remotely from anywhere in the world (using mobile data or Wi-Fi). These products are designed for easy DIY installation. You can control the following products with the Holman Home app: 1 | GARDEN WATERING • WX8 Irrigation Controller – 8 Zones • WX1 Tap Timer – 1 Zone • WX2 Tap Timer – 2 Zones • K-Rain KRX6 - 6 Zones • K-Rain KRX8 - 8 Zones • K-Rain K Connect Tap Timer (Bluetooth only - can only connect to tap timer when within Bluetooth range) • K-Rain K Connect Tap Timer connected to K-Rain K Connect Wi-Fi Hub Features • You have remote control access to your device to change any setting at any time via the app (excluding K Connect Tap Timer - Bluetooth only) • Schedule three Starts to run on the days of your choice (KRX8 has four Starts and K Connect Tap Timer has eight Starts) • Manually run any zone or Start from anywhere in the world (excluding K Connect Tap Timer - Bluetooth only) • Set your run time in hours and minutes • WX8s with the Holman Rain Sensor “Evie” or other third party rain sensors are able to automatically disable watering during wet weather • WX1s and WX2s with Moisture Sensors are able to automatically disable watering when the soil moisture is above the set threshold • KRX6s and KRX8s with a third party sensor is able disable watering using Scene Automations • It is easy to share your device with other family members or users 2 | Garden Lighting • RGB Garden Light • WW (Warm White) Garden Light Features • Easy 2-Pin (WW) or 4-Pin (RGB) Plug + Socket System. No Electrician required • Scene automations and custom scene options allow you to light up your garden, however you want 3 | WEATHER MONITORING • Helios Weather Station Features • Compatible with other Holman Home products • Accurate weather readings for your property • Includes 10” Indoor LCD Display Panel • Daily, Weekly and Monthly graphs of key weather data
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Powerpal at 70% against Holman Home's 27%. Powerpal also leads on rating (4.6 vs 1.0) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months). Holman Home's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Powerpal holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Powerpal has 24 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Powerpal's written reviews are positive against 27% of Holman Home's.
Powerpal ships an update every 3 weeks, Holman Home every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Powerpal | Holman Home |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (24 ratings) — better | 1.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 69.9% of reviews — better | 27.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 24 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 31 MB | 205 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Amber Electric Pty Ltd | Bookleaf PTY Ltd |
Customer experience
Powerpal
Holman Home
User reviews
Powerpal
From 24 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 📊 Real-time power consumption monitoring
- 💰 Helps users reduce electricity bills
- 🎨 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- 📈 Multiple graph and visualization formats
- 🔧 Simple installation process
Room to improve
- 🐛 Pairing failures with error 403
- 📱 Portrait mode only - no landscape support
- 🔋 Battery dies after 2-3 years without replacement option
- 📡 Limited Bluetooth range and connectivity issues
- ⚙️ Rigid tariff configuration options
Holman Home
From 1 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to set up
- 👍 Works well for basic functions
- 👍 Reliable hardware (sometimes)
- 👍 Good for remote watering
- 👍 User-friendly app (sometimes)
Room to improve
- 🐛 Extremely unreliable
- 🐛 Buggy and clunky UI
- 🐛 Frequent data loss/dropout
- 🐛 Settings do not save
- 🐛 Automation doesn't work
Bugs and requests
Powerpal
Reported bugs
15 issues- Error 403 pairing failures on iOS and Android
- App crashes when entering pairing code
- Forced update screen with no skip/cancel option
- Update failures preventing app launch
- Bluetooth disconnections even when device is nearby
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Inconsistent readings between paired devices
- LED sensitivity issues after firmware updates
- Remote connection setting being ignored
- Data disappearing after app updates
- App not registering zero usage when devices are off
- Poor Bluetooth signal strength (30% max)
- Navigation loop restricted to sequential movement
- Missing readings and data gaps
- Slow response time to power changes
- Graph display showing incorrect zero values
Requested features
18 requests- Landscape mode support for tablets/iPads
- Custom tariff time configuration
- WiFi connectivity for remote monitoring
- Support for multiple tariff rates (EV plans, super off-peak)
- Solar export/feed-in tracking and monitoring
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- API access for smart home integration
- Home Assistant integration
- Demand pricing structure support
- Customizable peak/off-peak time periods
- Multiple user accounts and sharing
- Extended data history (beyond 60 days)
- Date range selection for data downloads
- Battery replacement option instead of full unit replacement
- Split-view support for iPad
- Controlled load monitoring
- Calendar month matching for bill comparisons
- Alert notifications for high usage
- Spreadsheet export functionality
Holman Home
Reported bugs
41 issues- Constantly deletes data
- Requires restart/re-linking
- Frequent data dropout
- Rain delay feature does not save
- Schedule watering does not start
Show 36 moreShow fewer
- Device/hub goes offline
- Software UI unresponsive and buggy
- Cannot view past weather trends accurately
- Daily totals reset at 9 am, no numerical readout
- Automation doesn't work, watering doesn't happen
- Constantly resetting password
- App deletes all devices
- Hub never connected
- Settings do not save
- Updated app refuses to initiate start times
- Cannot set location for weather
- Preset stations wiped after updates
- Logging out of app
- WX1 cannot connect to Wi-Fi hub
- AM setup only, PM times not available
- Status shows watering when moisture is above limit
- Changes to schedules not saved
- Cannot set time for manual watering
- Next watering time shows as in the past
- Wi-Fi socket deleted, cannot reconnect
- Need to reset all the time, especially after power outage
- Missing activity history
- Keeps showing network error
- WX is limited to only three schedules
- Time settings change randomly
- Cannot pair with controller after updates
- App won't open
- New app not compatible with older iPad
- Security cameras don't show sprinklers running
- Hub wouldn't connect to Wi-Fi
- Location Services not showing app
- Location shows incorrect distance
- No HomeKit compatibility
- Odd/even day interval selection missing
- False advertising regarding interval watering
- Previous app not compatible with new hardware
Requested features
22 requests- HomeKit support
- Desktop access/web interface
- Improved rainfall data visualization (bar chart, cumulative totals)
- Hourly rainfall totals
- Cumulative rainfall display
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- Clearer rainfall totals (since midnight/9 am)
- Dark mode
- Apple Watch app integration for weather station
- More scene options for lighting
- Automatic sunset/sunrise lighting
- Interval watering settings
- Misting function in scenes
- Notifications for timer start/stop
- Calendar watering history
- Activity/event log
- More than 3 schedules per tap timer
- Ability to stop scheduled watering after it has started
- Status showing why watering is skipped (e.g., moisture level)
- Option to program misting in manual watering mode
- Face ID/Biometric login
- Allow PM times for setup
- Alert for spikes in water usage
In-app purchases
Powerpal
No in-app purchases
Holman Home
No in-app purchases









