Ranking updated
Smart home apps: one app for lights, sockets and alarms
A smart home app is where you add devices, control them from anywhere and set automations. The right one depends on your devices. SmartThings connects Samsung appliances and many other brands, Apple Home runs HomeKit accessories, Google Home works with Gemini for Home, Xiaomi Home and SmartLife run their own ecosystems, and Ajax is built around security, cameras and automation.
How we chose: free official apps of smart home platforms and device makers, with features taken from each app’s store description. Most need compatible devices to be useful.
Pick the app by your devices
A smart home app does not replace devices, it runs them. Lamps, sockets and sensors usually come with a maker’s app or a platform they support, so start with what you already own. For a mix of brands, a platform app like SmartThings, Apple Home or Google Home brings them into one place.
SmartThings, Apple Home and Google Home
SmartThings controls Samsung smart TVs and appliances along with brands like Ring, Nest and Philips Hue. You set scenes, build routines that run on time, weather or device status, give other people access, get notifications and track energy with SmartThings Energy. Apple Home controls HomeKit accessories from iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, with Siri, Control Centre and HomeKit Secure Video for cameras and doorbells. Google Home shows the status of your home at a glance, groups devices into dashboards, shows camera history and lets you say what you want devices to do with Gemini for Home. In Ukraine we found it on Google Play but not in the App Store.
Xiaomi Home and SmartLife
Xiaomi Home adds Xiaomi devices in a few steps, controls them from anywhere, shows their status in real time, shares them with family and friends and runs intelligent tasks. SmartLife runs devices built on the Tuya platform, which many lesser-known brands use: control them with a tap or by voice, get real-time monitoring and alerts, follow energy use and keep shared family to-dos and reminders.
Ajax: security first
Ajax Security System is the app of the security maker Ajax Systems. You arm and disarm the system with one tap, follow events in real time and get critical alerts even when the phone is on silent. It shows photo and video alarm verification, live video and an archive, runs automation scenarios such as switching on lights on motion or shutting off water on a leak, and has a panic button that sends the event and your location to a response unit. It needs Ajax equipment.
Which one to choose
Samsung appliances and mixed brands, SmartThings. An iPhone and HomeKit accessories, Apple Home. Google and Nest devices on Android, Google Home. Xiaomi or Tuya-based devices, Xiaomi Home or SmartLife. Security with automation, Ajax. To control a single appliance, see air conditioner apps, LED strip apps and TV remote apps. For cameras on their own, see security camera apps.
| App | Works with | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| SmartThingsApp StoreGoogle Play | Samsung TVs and appliances, other brands | scenes, routines by time, weather and device status, shared control, energy tracking |
| Apple HomeApp Store | HomeKit accessories | Siri, Control Centre, Apple Watch, HomeKit Secure Video cameras |
| Google HomeGoogle Play | Google and compatible devices | home status at a glance, camera history, control by asking Gemini for Home |
| Xiaomi HomeApp StoreGoogle Play | Xiaomi devices | easy setup, remote control, real-time status, sharing with family, intelligent tasks |
| SmartLifeApp StoreGoogle Play | Tuya-based devices | control by tap or voice, monitoring and alerts, energy insights, family to-dos |
| AjaxApp StoreGoogle Play | Ajax security devices | arm and disarm, critical alerts, video, automation scenarios, panic button |
Frequently asked questions
Which smart home app is in Ukrainian?
On the App Store, SmartThings, Apple Home, Xiaomi Home, SmartLife and Ajax list Ukrainian.
Do I need a hub for a smart home app?
It depends on the devices. Many connect over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth directly, while Ajax needs its own equipment. Check what your devices support.
Can one app control devices of different brands?
Platform apps do that: SmartThings works with Samsung and brands like Ring, Nest and Philips Hue, and Apple Home with any HomeKit accessory.