Comparison

Refoss vs Home Assistant AI

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Refoss

Control and manage your home automation devices remotely. Schedule device operations, monitor their status, and integrate with voice assistants for hands-free control. Enjoy peace of mind knowing your electronics are managed efficiently.

Highlights
  • Remote on/off control
  • Automated work plans
  • Voice assistant integration
  • Device status monitoring
  • Manage smart plugs
Read full description

Refoss mainly focuses on home automation gadgets. Currently, there are products such as smart plug on the market. Customers can plug the device on it and easily manage the following functions through the Refoss app: 1. Turn on/off electronic devices anytime, anywhere through the Refoss app. 2. Create an on/off work plan to let the equipment work automatically according to the plan. 3. Link your Refoss smart devices to voice assistant, you can easily control the device with your voice. 4. View the on/off status of connected devices from anywhere for peace of mind.

About

Home Assistant AI

Features
Read full description

Meet HomeAI — the smartest way to control your home. Forget tapping through apps and hunting for the right switch. With HomeAI, you just talk. Ask your home anything. Tell it what you want. Watch it happen. --- FULL HOME ASSISTANT INTEGRATION HomeAI connects directly to your Home Assistant server and puts your entire smart home at your fingertips — or rather, at the tip of your tongue. Control lights, thermostats, locks, fans, blinds, media players, cameras, sensors and more. Query device states, trigger scenes, and even create or edit automations — all through natural conversation. No cloud middleman. No extra hub. Just you and your home. --- POWERED BY THE AI OF YOUR CHOICE Why lock you into one AI? HomeAI lets you bring your own API key and pick the model that works best for you: • Anthropic Claude • OpenAI GPT • Google Gemini • Kimi • MiniMax Switch providers any time with a single tap. Use the latest models the moment they're released. --- TALK. LISTEN. DONE. Tap the microphone and speak naturally. HomeAI understands context, handles follow-up questions, and responds in a warm, natural voice. Choose from premium text-to-speech engines — OpenAI, Inworld, Google Gemini — or use the built-in iOS voice. Fully configurable. "Turn off all the lights downstairs." "What's the temperature in the living room?" "Lock the front door and set the thermostat to 68." "Create an automation that turns on the porch light at sunset." It just works. --- CONTROL FROM YOUR WRIST The companion Apple Watch app gives you instant voice control without even pulling out your phone. Tap, speak, get an answer — from anywhere in your home or on the go. Settings sync automatically from your iPhone. Setup once, use everywhere. --- YOUR SETTINGS FOLLOW YOU Configure HomeAI once and it follows you everywhere. All your settings — Home Assistant server, AI provider, language, voice preferences, and custom persona — sync automatically across all your Apple devices via iCloud. Delete and reinstall the app? Everything is instantly restored. --- PRIVATE BY DESIGN HomeAI was built with privacy at its core: • No accounts. No sign-up. No tracking. • No analytics. No data collection. Ever. • API keys stored securely in the iOS Keychain — encrypted and hardware-backed. • Conversations go directly from your device to the AI provider you choose. HomeAI never sees them. • Home Assistant commands go directly to your own server. Your home. Your data. Your control. --- MAKE IT YOURS Name your home. Pick your language (English, French, or Spanish). Define a custom persona for your assistant — formal, friendly, playful, or anything in between. HomeAI adapts to the way you live. --- REQUIREMENTS • Home Assistant server (local or remote) • API key for your chosen AI provider • iOS 16 or later

Screenshots

Refoss4 screens
Home Assistant AI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Refoss at Free against Home Assistant AI's $1.99. Refoss also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). Home Assistant AI's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 weeks). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Refoss is free to download; Home Assistant AI costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Refoss ships an update every 5 weeks, Home Assistant AI every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Refoss versus Home Assistant AI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRefossHome Assistant AI
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.5 (125 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews87.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings125 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size224 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFLEXBEE HK LIMITEDPhilippe Bouffaut

Bugs and requests

Refoss

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App frequently loses login credentials
  • Incorrect door status reporting
  • Failure to connect and control devices
  • Outdated app version not allowing new features

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to set different electricity rates based on time of day and day of week
  • More detailed energy consumption data (hourly/minute-level)
  • Apple Watch app
  • CarPlay integration
  • Ability to pause/stop door operation mid-cycle

Home Assistant AI

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Refoss

No in-app purchases

None

Home Assistant AI

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Refoss free?
Refoss is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Home Assistant AI free?
Home Assistant AI costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Refoss or Home Assistant AI have ads?
Neither Refoss nor Home Assistant AI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Refoss or Home Assistant AI?
Refoss ships an update every 5 weeks, and Home Assistant AI every 3 days. Most recently, Refoss was updated on September 29, 2026 and Home Assistant AI on September 20, 2026.

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