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Vulpo vs HomePad: which one fits your home?
HomePad turns an iPad into an always-on dashboard for Apple Home and Home Assistant. Vulpo is a native Home Assistant app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. They're made for different jobs.
How is Vulpo different from HomePad?
Vulpo is made for Home Assistant and draws every screen natively in SwiftUI, on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. You build its dashboards in the app from more than 40 card types, its Apple Watch app works on its own, and Vulpo Pro adds Lumen, a 3D view of your home linked to your devices.
HomePad is built for a wall-mounted or tabletop iPad that stays on. You place and resize accessories and widgets such as weather, clocks, calendar, reminders, commute times and web pages, and it adds room views, camera feeds in full screen or a grid of up to four, a doorbell feed that pops up when a visitor arrives, a media player and a Photo Frame mode when idle. It runs on iPhone too.
It started with Apple Home and added Home Assistant in version 4.0 in August 2026, so it works with both in one app.
| Feature |  Vulpo |  HomePad |
|---|---|---|
| Look and setup | ||
| 3D view of your homeLinked to your devices | YesLumen, Pro | No |
| Dashboards built without YAML | Yes | Yes |
| Apple devices | ||
| Point at a device to control itFrom Apple Watch | YesWhisker, Labs, Pro | No |
| Mac app | YesNative | PartlyiPad app |
| Apple Watch app | Yes | No |
| iPhone Duo layout | Yes | Yes |
| Wall panel or kiosk mode | No | Yes |
| Home Assistant | ||
| Automations drafted from a sentenceA draft you review first | YesApple Intelligence | No |
| IntercomA spoken message on your speakers | YesPro | No |
| Media players and Music Assistant | Yes | PartlyMusic services |
| Live cameras | Yes | YesGrid of up to 4 |
| Price and access | ||
| Free to use | YesCore app | No |
| One-time purchase | YesPro Lifetime | Yes |
| System features | ||
| Works with Apple HomeHomeKit accessories in the same app | No | Yes |
Pick Vulpo if…
- You want an Apple Watch app too, one that works on its own over Wi-Fi or LTE.
- You want a native Mac app rather than an iPad app on the Mac.
- You'd like to start free: the core app has no time limit, and Vulpo Pro is optional.
- You play music through Music Assistant or Sonos and want the whole queue in one player.
- You'd like Lumen, a 3D view of your home linked to your devices, with Vulpo Pro.
- You want to send a spoken message to your Home Assistant speakers, with Vulpo Pro.
Pick HomePad if…
- You want a wall panel: HomePad runs all day on an iPad, with a Photo Frame mode when idle.
- You use Apple Home as well as Home Assistant and want both in one app.
- You want a grid of up to four cameras and a doorbell feed that pops up for visitors.
Loved at home.
4.7 out of 555 ratings on the App Store
Hand-picked positive reviews and posts, quoted as written. How they're picked
The average above is the App Store's own, across every rating, not just these. Apple only lets people who downloaded the app review it on the App Store; Reddit and X posts aren't checked for whether their authors use Vulpo. Each card links to its source.
Questions
Can I use both?
Yes. They're separate apps, so an iPad on the wall can run HomePad while your iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch run Vulpo.
Is Vulpo affiliated with HomePad?
No. Vulpo is an independent app by Joshua Dessol, and HomePad comes from a different developer. Home Assistant is a trademark of the Open Home Foundation, and Vulpo is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by the Open Home Foundation or Nabu Casa.
Does Vulpo have a wall-panel or kiosk mode?
No. Vulpo runs on iPad with a sidebar layout, but it has no always-on wall-panel mode. For an iPad on the wall, HomePad is the app made for it.
Does HomePad have an Apple Watch app?
No. HomePad's App Store listing names iPhone and iPad, with no Apple Watch app. Vulpo's watch app is part of its free tier and works without the iPhone over Wi-Fi or LTE.
What does each one cost?
HomePad costs $8.99 once on the US App Store, with no subscription and no in-app purchases. Vulpo is free to download and its core app stays free; Vulpo Pro adds Live Activities, 3D rooms, unlimited widgets and Vulpo Labs for $4.99 a month, $29.99 a year or $59.99 once.
Sources
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