# LIFX vs Home Assistant

The clearest difference is rating: Home Assistant at 4.7 against LIFX's 3.7. Home Assistant also leads on review sentiment (54% vs 18%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Home Assistant holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.1K and 4K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of LIFX's written reviews are positive against 54% of Home Assistant's.

LIFX ships an update fortnightly, Home Assistant every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LIFX | Home Assistant |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (7.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lifx/id657758311/reviews) | **[4.7 (4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-assistant/id1099568401/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.1K** | 4K |
| Positive reviews | 18.2% of reviews | **54.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 259 MB | 229 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LIFX](https://appshunter.io/developer/657758314) | [Nabu Casa, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1525301324) |

## What reviewers say

### LIFX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lifx/id657758311)

Control your smart lights with this app. Easily adjust brightness, color, and temperature. Automate schedules, create custom scenes, and explore fun lighting effects. Integrates with voice assistants and HomeKit for seamless control.

**Highlights:** Basic light control (on/off, dim, color, temperature), Group lights for easy management, Automated schedules and scenes, Special lighting effects (music visualizer, fire, etc.), Live color painting on compatible lights, Custom color palettes, HomeKit integration

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent color quality and brightness
- 🔍 Customizable lighting effects and scenes
- 🔌 Easy setup and connectivity
- 📱 Responsive and intuitive app
- 🤖 Good integration with smart home platforms

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues and unreliable performance
- 🤯 Confusing and cluttered app UI
- 🔄 Frequent app and firmware updates breaking functionality
- 🤖 Poor integration with smart home platforms
- 🕰️ Scheduling and automation issues

**Reported bugs**

- Lights randomly disconnecting from app
- Scenes and effects not working as expected
- Scheduling issues and lights not responding to timers
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
- Frequent app crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- More granular control over individual lights
- Improved scene and effect customization
- Better scheduling and automation options
- Seamless integration with smart home platforms
- Simplified onboarding and setup process


### Home Assistant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-assistant/id1099568401)

Control your entire smart home from one app, locally and privately. Automate devices, receive notifications, and manage your home's data securely. Integrates with thousands of smart devices and open standards.

**Highlights:** Control entire home from one app, Discover and configure new devices, Automate device actions, Local data privacy, Connect to open standards (Z-Wave, Zigbee, Matter), Remote access via Home Assistant Cloud, Location-based automation

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LIFX free?

LIFX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Home Assistant free?

Home Assistant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, LIFX or Home Assistant?

Home Assistant is rated higher. LIFX averages 3.7 out of 5 from 7.1K ratings, while Home Assistant averages 4.7 from 4K ratings.

### Do LIFX or Home Assistant have ads?

Neither LIFX nor Home Assistant shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LIFX or Home Assistant?

LIFX ships an update fortnightly, and Home Assistant every 10 days. Most recently, LIFX was updated on October 25, 2026 and Home Assistant on October 24, 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.*