head to head · open source
android vs iOS
android has 4,021 GitHub stars, 1,132 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. iOS has 2,398 stars, 553 forks, 293 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. android leads on adoption by 68% (4,021 vs 2,398 stars). android is written in Kotlin under Apache-2.0; iOS is written in Swift under Apache-2.0. android has attracted 28% as many forks as stars, iOS 23%. iOS was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 4 topic tags (hacktoberfest, home-assistant, home-automation, open-source-app), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| android | iOS | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 4.0K | ★ 2.4K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Kotlin | Swift |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.1K | ⑂ 553 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick android if
- You weight community size — 4.0K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Kotlin
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick iOS if
- You want the iOS feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Swift
- You evaluated both and iOS fits your workflow better
About android
Home Assistant Companion for Android Welcome to the Home Assistant Companion for Android ! This is the official Android app for Home Assistant, a powerful open source home automation platform. Join us in building an app used by millions of users worldwide. Features Control Your Smart Home : Seamlessly interact with your Home Assistant instance. Native Android Experience : Leverage Android specific features like widgets, notifications, and location tracking. Customizable : Tailor the app to your needs with themes, dashboards, and more. Open Source : Contribute to a project that empowers users to take control of…
read the full android overview →
About iOS
Home Assistant for Apple Platforms ================= Getting Started Home Assistant uses Bundler, Homebrew, and SPM to manage build dependencies. You'll need Xcode 27.0 (or later), currently a beta, which you can download from Apple Developer Downloads. You can get the app running using the following commands: Once this completes, you can launch HomeAssistant.xcodeproj and run the App Debug scheme onto your simulator or iOS device. Testing just the frontend To just test the frontend, you can use a simulator version built by our GitHub actions. 1. Install Xcode from the App Store making sure it's at least the…
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Frequently asked questions
Is android or iOS more popular?
android has 4,021 GitHub stars and iOS has 2,398. android has the larger community by that measure.
Are android and iOS free?
Both are open source. android is licensed under Apache-2.0 and iOS under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between android and iOS?
android is written in Kotlin and iOS in Swift. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, android or iOS?
Choose android if you want the larger community (4,021 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose iOS if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.