openHAB vs Quel
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
openHAB
This app acts as a companion to an open-source home automation system, allowing users to control and integrate various smart home devices. It offers remote access, enhanced notifications, and a customizable interface for managing your smart home ecosystem.
- Seamless integration with openHAB UI
- Remote control via openHAB Cloud
- Enhanced push notifications
- Apple Watch companion app
- Natively supports iPhone and iPad
- Connects to over 3000 devices
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The official companion application for openHAB - an open source home automation system. The open Home Automation Bus (openHAB) project aims at providing a universal integration platform for connecting home automation technologies into a single intelligent system. With more than 3000 things that openHAB can connect to, there’s virtually nothing that can’t be integrated. Its advanced rules based architecture allows complete automation using several popular scripting languages (Java Script, Ruby, Python, Java, RDSL, and more ) as well as visual rule designers using either drag and drop interfaces or simple “If / Then” forms. The new openHAB UI allows users to easily build beautiful interfaces customized to their needs. openHAB is designed to be absolutely vendor-neutral as well as hardware/protocol-agnostic. Key Features: * Integrates seamlessly with your own openHAB UI (Main UI or sitemaps) * Control everything on your openHAB server directly or remotely through the free openHAB Cloud service (https://myopenhab.org) * Enhanced push notifications with media from openHAB Cloud and the openHAB cloud binding * Apple Watch companion app * Natively supports both iPhone and iPad Make openHAB the central integration and control point of your Smart Home. You will find openHAB at http://www.openhab.org/ openHAB has over 450 add-ons, supporting over 3000 things, some of which include: Aiphone, Amazon Dash Button, Amazon Echo Control, AmpliFi, AndroidTV, Anker, Apple HomeKit, Arlo, August, Belkin, Blink, Bosch Smart Home, Bose SoundTouch, Brinks, Chamberlain, Chromecast, Cree, D-Link, Daikin, Denon / Marantz, Dynaudio, Ecobee, Electrolux, Eero, Fibaro, Foscam, Freebox, Gardena, Google Home, Hisense, Honeywell, Honeywell Home, Hue, iRobot, JBL, Jablotron Alarm, Kaleidescape, Kenwood, KNX, Kodi, Kuka, Kwikset, LIFX, LG, Linksys, Logitech, Lutron, Matter, Miele Cloud, Miele@home, Moen, Nanoleaf, Neato, Netatmo, Nest, Nortek, Nuki, Osram, Philips Hue, Pioneer, Plex, Powermax, Rako, Ring, Ring Alarm, Roku, Samsung Smartthings, Sennheiser, Sensibo, Shelly, Siemens, SimpliSafe, Smarthome, Smartmeter, Smartthings, Sonos, Sony, Spotify, Squeezebox, Tado, Technics, Tesla, TP-Link Smart Home, TRÅDFRI, Unifi, Velux, Vera, Verisure, Vizio, Volumio, Wemo, Whirlpool, Wink, Xiaomi, Yamaha Musiccast, Yamaha Receiver, Yeelight, Zigbee, Z-Wave and 400 more popular technologies….
Quel
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Quel is your all-in-one engineering toolkit for instrumentation and controls. Designed for process engineers, control engineers, and instrumentation specialists, Quel brings powerful sizing and calculation tools into one streamlined app. Whether you're working on valves, orifice plates, or temperature sensors, Quel helps you size, calculate, and verify with speed and accuracy. KEY FEATURES • Control Valve Sizing – Quickly determine Cv, flow conditions, and check for subcritical or critical operation. • Valve Performance Calculator – Evaluate installed gain, rangeability, and operating point across the full stroke range. • Orifice Plate Sizing – Built-in ISO 5167 calculations for DP, Beta ratio, and flowrate in engineering units. • Temperature Sensors – RTD and thermocouple resistance and millivolt reference tables for common sensor types. • Unit Conversions – Instant conversions across pressure, temperature, flow, and volume to simplify day-to-day calculations. • Save & Export – Save calculation results to history, export as PDF or text for documentation and field reports. • Engineering References – Quick guides and formulas used in the field for sizing and troubleshooting. WHY QUEL? • Fast & Reliable – Save time in the field or office with ready-to-use sizing tools. • Accurate – Built around standard engineering methods (ISA, IEC, API, ISO, ASME). • Practical – Designed by engineers, for engineers, with workflows that match real projects. • Portable – A professional-grade toolkit in your pocket, whether you're commissioning, troubleshooting, or reviewing designs. With Quel, you work smarter and more confidently on process control projects, knowing your sizing and calculations are consistent with industry standards.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: openHAB at none against Quel's 3. Quel's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Quel sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. openHAB asks for nothing beyond the download.
openHAB ships an update every 3 weeks, Quel every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | openHAB | Quel |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 45 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | openHAB Foundation e.V. | Guillermo Alvarado |
In-app purchases
openHAB
No in-app purchases
Quel
- Quel Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
- Quel Yearly Plan$69.991 Year
- Full Access$4.99









