HCA vs Simon Plug&Drive
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HCA
Control your home's lighting, thermostat, and automation devices remotely. Monitor sensors, trigger programs, and manage keypads. Uses geofencing for automated actions when entering or leaving areas.
- Remote device control
- Sensor status monitoring
- Program execution
- Keypad control
- Geofencing automation
- Log viewing and filtering
- Custom icon synchronization
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HCA is a companion app for the Home Control Assistant Server desktop application. It is a client that connects to your HCA Server home automation system over WiFi or Cell network. I have no affiliation with the makers of HCA Server - I'm just a user providing this app for free to people who already own HCA Server. With this app, you can: - Control your home lighting, thermostat and other automation devices remotely. - Check on the status of motion and door/window sensors and your alarm system. - Trigger the execution of HCA programs to expand your remote automation capability. - Control the keypads throughout your home. - Use GeoFences to cause an HCA program to execute when entering/leaving an area. - View the HCA log and filters - Synchronize your custom icons from the HCA server to the app. - View your custom HTML pages generated by the HCA Server - Much, Much more! NOTE: For geofences, the users location is NEVER transmitted to the server or anywhere else outside of the app. It is used only by iOS to track the geofence. The app only sends the user-supplied name of the geofence to the server. For a video showing how to setup and use the app, see here: Part 1: https://youtu.be/IRWOgmouC_c Part 2: https://youtu.be/-On3jNJHW6M Please provide feedback on what features you would like to see implemented next! *** Please give us a rating in the app store ***
Simon Plug&Drive
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Take control of your electric vehicle charging point with Simon Plug&Drive. Easily manage your Simon charger and optimise energy consumption. Simon Plug&Drive will always be there on your smartphone when you need it so that your vehicle is always ready. Connect and configure your charger: - Identify, activate and control your charging point using Bluetooth. - Save money by scheduling the hours with the most economical electricity rates in your calendar. - Modulates and defines the contracted power. - Charge your vehicle using the solar energy generated by your photovoltaic panels. - Locks the device so that only you can use it. Download the App and start enjoying the Simon Plug&Drive experience. For any questions: sat@simon.es
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Simon Plug&Drive at every 2 months against HCA's every 4 months. HCA's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
HCA ships an update every 4 months, Simon Plug&Drive every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 8, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HCA | Simon Plug&Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (6 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 63 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Advanced Quonset Technology, Inc | Simon |
In-app purchases
HCA
No in-app purchases
Simon Plug&Drive
No in-app purchases
