HS3Touch vs Hearth for HomeKit
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HS3Touch
This client app requires a separate Windows design program to create custom interfaces for your smart home system. It connects to your HomeSeer system via a cloud service to provide remote access and control. Users need a license for the design software to utilize this application.
- Customizable smart home interface
- Remote control of HomeSeer systems
- Works with HS3 and HS3PRO
- Requires HS3Touch Designer software
- Cloud service integration
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This HS3Touch client is NOT a stand-alone app. It is designed to work in tandem with HS3Touch Designer (a commercial Windows software program). If you do not have a license for HS3Touch Designer, please install HomeSeer Mobile (our standard free app) instead. System Requirements: • Any HS3 or HS3PRO-powered HomeSeer system (including all HomeTrollers) • HomeSeer HS3Touch Designer • MyHomeSeer-Remote cloud service account Installation: • Ensure that your HomeSeer HS3 system is running • Register for a Free MyHomeSeer-Remote account and add your HomeSeer license codes to that account • Download and install the HSTouch client (this app) on your mobile device(s) • Open your IOS settings, find HSTouch and enter your MyHomeSeer username and password • Launch this app and connect using MyHomeSeer. Your system should now be accessible! • App will automatically load a default project based on the type of IOS device you are using.
Hearth for HomeKit
Transform an unused iPad or iPhone into a dedicated smart home control center. This app integrates seamlessly with your existing HomeKit setup, offering at-a-glance status and intuitive controls for lights, thermostats, and more, all within a customizable interface.
- HomeKit accessory control by room
- At-a-glance room status monitoring
- Customizable dashboard interface
- Screensaver module personalization
- Presence-based wake functionality
- Apple Music playback control
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Turn an unused iPad—or an iPhone—into a calm, always-ready HomeKit dashboard. Hearth works directly with the homes, rooms, and accessories already configured in the Apple Home app. It brings the status and controls you use most into an interface designed for a wall-mounted display, kitchen counter, or bedside stand. Hearth Free remains usable without a subscription. See your home at a glance • Browse and control HomeKit lights, thermostats, curtains, and other compatible accessories by room • Check room temperature, humidity, and sensor status at a glance • Choose Celsius or Fahrenheit • See and control Apple Music playback from the dashboard Made for an always-on display • Use a built-in gradient or your own photo as the room background • Choose a light, dark, or background-matched interface • Enter a low-distraction screensaver when idle • Adjust dashboard and screensaver brightness separately • Choose digital, analog, or minimal clock styles • Configure Auto-Sleep, Night Mode, and OLED burn-in protection • Use a HomeKit presence sensor—or experimental, on-device camera detection while Hearth is visible—to wake when someone arrives Make the screensaver yours • Combine clocks, indoor temperature and humidity, home status, a date calendar and battery level • Choose a grid, resize and rearrange modules, and customize directly from the preview • Personalize digital clocks with typefaces, size, width and weight • Save and switch designs in the Gallery; long-press the screensaver to open it Focused, direct control • Control individual lights or light groups already set up in the Apple Home app • Set thermostat target temperatures and operating modes • Control curtains, blinds, and other compatible opening accessories • Choose which control cards, sensors, and active devices appear in each room Free and Pro Hearth Free includes one active room, core accessory controls, room status, built-in gradients, light and dark appearance, room display preferences, Night Mode, burn-in reduction, all built-in clocks and up to three saved custom Modular screensavers. Built-in clocks do not count toward that limit. Hearth Pro adds every room and zone in the current home, Whole Home status, photo room backgrounds, adaptive appearance, Presence Wake, camera events, iCloud settings sync and unlimited new custom screensavers. Saved designs are not deleted when Pro ends. Pro-only data sources become unavailable; switch to Free sources or remove those modules before saving edits. The Free limit applies when adding designs. Choose Lifetime Pro as a one-time purchase, or Pro Monthly as an auto-renewing monthly subscription with a one-month free trial for eligible customers. Before you start • Hearth requires a HomeKit home and compatible accessories already configured in the Apple Home app • The iPhone dashboard supports portrait and landscape • Apple Music playback controls require an active Apple Music subscription • Presence Wake can use a compatible sensor from the Apple Home app; experimental camera detection works only while Hearth is visible and processes frames on device • Night Mode shows black content; Manual and Timed modes also lower brightness. System mode leaves brightness to iOS. It does not turn off an LCD iPad’s physical backlight • Use Apple's Guided Access to turn the device into a dedicated household control panel Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hearth for HomeKit at 100% against HS3Touch's 17%. Hearth for HomeKit also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.5) and update cadence (every 6 days vs monthly). HS3Touch's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (27 vs 2). On price, ads 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. Hearth for HomeKit sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. HS3Touch asks for nothing beyond the download.
Hearth for HomeKit holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HS3Touch has 27 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of HS3Touch's written reviews are positive against 100% of Hearth for HomeKit's.
HS3Touch ships an update monthly, Hearth for HomeKit every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HS3Touch | Hearth for HomeKit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (27 ratings) | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.4% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 27 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | HomeSeer | Jiacheng Jiang |
Customer experience
HS3Touch
Hearth for HomeKit
Bugs and requests
HS3Touch
Reported bugs
38 issues- Hangs at 'getting data'
- Cannot connect
- Cannot change settings or connect locally
- New version won't authenticate
- Stopped working
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- HomeSeer broke the app without warning
- HS3Touch license disabled
- Unable to login since last update
- Latest update won't launch
- Latest update broken, 'Could not authenticate'
- App unavailable suddenly
- Latest version will not connect to HomeSeer server
- Latest version crashes when launched
- Glitchy iOS version compared to Android
- Screen cuts off in portrait mode on iPad
- Unable to get out of demo mode
- Device status won't auto refresh
- App crashes all the time
- App hangs at startup
- Frequently need to reboot phone to connect
- Hangs at 'Getting Data' screen
- Startup bug still present
- App crashes when HomeSeer reboots
- Update broke what was working
- Only connects sometimes, crashes frequently
- Crashes if not swiped up to exit
- Latest version crashes with any button press
- Interface does not scale or rotate
- Does not work on iPad Pro
- Never opens, sticks on loading data
- Black screen issues (resolved by reinstall)
- Locks up constantly on iPad
- Screens get stuck in refresh loop on iPad
- iPad specific version says no systems online
- All projects showing black screens
- Current client does not work on local LAN if internet is down
- Loads only a blank screen
- Just a black screen now
Requested features
4 requests- Support for Apple Watch
- HomeKit integration
- Notifications with sounds
- Ability to turn off confirmation when clicking on an event
Hearth for HomeKit
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
HS3Touch
No in-app purchases
Hearth for HomeKit
- Hearth Pro Monthly1 Month trial$2.991 Month
- Hearth Lifetime Pro$29.99
Questions
Is HS3Touch free?
Is Hearth for HomeKit free?
Which has better reviews, HS3Touch or Hearth for HomeKit?
Do HS3Touch or Hearth for HomeKit have ads?
Which is updated more often, HS3Touch or Hearth for HomeKit?
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