Holman Home vs Emerald
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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
Read full descriptionHide full description
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
Emerald
Monitor and control your home's energy usage, climate, and safety devices. Track electricity consumption in real-time, set budgets, and receive alerts for emergencies. Turn your air-con into a smart device for remote climate control.
- Real-time electricity usage tracking
- Electricity budgeting
- Smart air-con control
- Remote climate adjustment
- Smoke alarm monitoring
- Emergency notifications
Read full descriptionHide full description
The Emerald app is a complete solution to creating a smart, sustainable and safe home. Use the Electricity Advisor to keep track of your home’s electricity usage in real-time, create an electricity budget to stay on top of your bills and protect your loved ones and your home from fire with the SafeLink along with other great products! AC LINK Turn your air-con into a smart air-con with Emerald AC Link. Whether you’re at work, on vacation or enjoying a walk, easily control the climate of your home with AC Link and the Emerald app. Access the complete functionality of your air-con via your smartphone. - Adjust mode and fan settings - Set schedules and timers ELECTRICITY ADVISOR The Emerald app works in conjunction with the Electricity Advisor to track your energy consumption via your Smart Meter. Once the Electricity Advisor is installed, you will be able to monitor your energy usage right from your fingertips! - Visually track and measure how energy is being used. - Get Weekly Reports to view and compare your weekly energy usage. - View Energy Savings Tips to help you save on your bills. LIVELINK LiveLink Wi-Fi Gateway works in addition to your Electricity Advisor allowing you to monitor your electricity usage even when you are away from home. Upgrade Bluetooth to Wi-Fi connectivity 24/7 monitoring and visibility React in real-time, even if you’re not home Adjust your habits and save money SAFELINK The SafeLink is a gateway between the Emerald app and your interconnected Emerald smoke alarms, which allows you to view the real-time status of your alarms via your phone. - Protect your family by having full control of your smoke alarms. - Ensure your alarms are working with frequent testing at the touch of a button. - Get notified in case of an emergency. - Full alarm event history. - Link quick-dial contacts in case of a fire. - Humidity and temperature sensors. UPCOMING PRODUCTS We are currently developing a number of Smart Intelligence devices that will assist you in your energy saving journey! Keep an eye out in the coming months for our latest products that will work in conjunction with the Emerald app. https://emeraldhome.com.au/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Emerald at monthly against Holman Home's every 5 months. Holman Home's advantage is review sentiment (27% vs 17%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 1.0 for Holman Home against 1.0 for Emerald. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 27% of Holman Home's written reviews are positive against 17% of Emerald's.
Holman Home ships an update every 5 months, Emerald monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Holman Home | Emerald |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.0 (1 ratings) | 1.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 27.1% of reviews — better | 17.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 205 MB | 110 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bookleaf PTY Ltd | EMERALD PLANET ENVIRONMENTAL PTY LTD |
Customer experience
Holman Home
Emerald
User reviews
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
Emerald
From 2 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Real-time electricity consumption monitoring
- 💰 Helps identify cost-saving opportunities
- 📊 Basic functionality works for tracking usage
- 🆓 Free or subsidized installation
- ➕ Add household members feature available
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 📡 Bluetooth connectivity issues and limited range
- 🔌 High battery drain on mobile devices
- ⏱️ Slow data syncing and connection times
- 🔐 Persistent login and authentication problems
Bugs and requests
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
Emerald
Reported bugs
19 issues- App crashes on startup or when opening specific features
- Smart Actions stop working after updates
- Bluetooth connection drops frequently
- Data not syncing or updating after certain dates
- Login failures and forced logouts
Show 14 moreShow fewer
- OTP (One-Time Password) delivery delays
- Energy consumption data showing incorrect values
- Heat pump controls showing disconnected when device is connected
- Livelink setup stuck on 'configuring' screen
- App crashes when selecting Electricity Adviser
- Temperature adjustment feature removed after update
- Smart Actions button unclickable
- Electricity Advisor won't open or display data
- App hangs and becomes unresponsive
- Bluetooth not visible to device despite being paired
- Data fetching stopped after July 31, 2025
- Reverse cycle AC controller library missing
- App loses product data after reinstall
- iOS 17 compatibility issues
Requested features
19 requests- Support for 3-tier and multi-tier tariff structures
- WiFi connectivity instead of Bluetooth only
- Advanced smart actions with conditional triggers
- Ability to set mode (boost/silent) in smart actions
- Scheduled automation based on water temperature/capacity
Show 14 moreShow fewer
- API access for third-party integrations
- Temperature adjustment controls for heat pump
- Solar panel production monitoring
- Larger, more readable text and improved UI
- Per-second or 10-minute granularity reporting
- Server-side smart action processing
- Support for free electricity periods (solar sponge plans)
- Ability to change peak/off-peak times manually
- Battery replacement notifications
- Dark mode and improved visual design
- Monthly power usage tracking in kWh
- Grid export monitoring for solar users
- Thermostat temperature scheduling
- Better graph visualization with clear day delineation
In-app purchases
Holman Home
No in-app purchases
Emerald
No in-app purchases









