# Virtual Menorah vs Controller for HomeKit

The clearest difference is price: Controller for HomeKit at Free against Virtual Menorah's $1.99. Controller for HomeKit also leads on ratings volume (2.8K vs 4) and rating (4.1 vs 3.8). Virtual Menorah's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and review sentiment (43% vs 28%). On ads there is nothing between them.

Controller for HomeKit is free to download; Virtual Menorah costs $1.99 up front. Controller for HomeKit sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Virtual Menorah asks for nothing beyond the download.

Controller for HomeKit holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Controller for HomeKit has 2.8K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 43% of Virtual Menorah's written reviews are positive against 28% of Controller for HomeKit's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Virtual Menorah ships an update monthly, Controller for HomeKit every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Virtual Menorah | Controller for HomeKit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-menorah/id403724765/reviews) | **[4.1 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/controller-for-homekit/id1198176727/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **2.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **42.9% of reviews** | 28.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 10 MB | 219 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ATBOSH Media Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1660112986) | [acasa Software GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/974663980) |

## What reviewers say

### Virtual Menorah

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-menorah/id403724765)

Light a virtual menorah with customizable candle colors and burn durations. Place and light each candle, enjoying twinkling flames. Offers flexibility in lighting order to suit personal traditions.

**Highlights:** Customizable candle colors, Adjustable burn duration, Flexible candle placement, Interactive flame animation, Personalized lighting order

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Controller Essentials | $4.99 | per month |
| Controller Plus | $8.99 | per month |
| Controller Essentials | $39.99 | per year |
| Controller Plus | $79.99 | per year |
| Controller Plus Lifetime | $179.99 | 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Virtual Menorah free?

Virtual Menorah costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Controller for HomeKit free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Virtual Menorah or Controller for HomeKit?

Controller for HomeKit is rated higher. Virtual Menorah averages 3.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Controller for HomeKit averages 4.1 from 2.8K ratings.

### Do Virtual Menorah or Controller for HomeKit have ads?

Neither Virtual Menorah nor Controller for HomeKit shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Virtual Menorah or Controller for HomeKit?

Virtual Menorah ships an update monthly, and Controller for HomeKit every 2 weeks. Most recently, Virtual Menorah was updated on October 23, 2026 and Controller for HomeKit on November 2, 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.*