Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. Products

Google Home vs. Apple HomeKit: which is the best smart home platform?

Jon Bitner
By

Apple HomeKit and Google Home are two of the best smart home platforms around. HomeKit is tightly regulated by Apple, which allows it to offer a streamlined experience that works flawlessly with all products in its catalog. Google, meanwhile, offers more freedom — its catalog is much larger than HomeKit and developers are largely free to use the software as they see fit. Google Home also recently received a massive overhaul, making its app more user-friendly than ever before.

But is Google Home or Apple HomeKit the better smart home platform? From compatible smart home gadgets to required hubs, here’s a look at HomeKit and Google Home to help you decide which is best for your setup.

Recommended Videos

What is a smart home platform?

Apple HomeKit app on smartphone.
Apple

If you’re a bit fuzzy on what a smart home platform is, you’re not alone. They’re a fairly recent development in the tech world, but they provide you with surprising versatility. A smart home platform is what the rest of your smart home gadgets connect to — allowing you to issue commands to them remotely, sync their performance with other devices, or just check in on them without having to leave the couch.

Related

All smart home platforms function in similar ways, but not all products (such as smart lights or thermostats) support all platforms. Matter is hoping to solve that issue in the future, but for now, picking a smart home platform is still a big decision.

Hub devices

The Nest Hub Max front view.
John Velasco/Digital Trends

Most smart home platforms used to require a Hub device to control all the action. These essentially serve as the brains of the operation, receiving voice commands and issuing your orders to the corresponding devices. They often come in the shape of a smart display or smart speaker, and while you’ll probably want to pick one up for either the HomeKit and Google Home, they’re no longer required.

Google Home devices can all be controlled remotely using the Google Home smartphone app, and HomeKit devices can be controlled remotely through the HomeKit smartphone app. Of course, it’s highly recommended that you add a hub to your smart home (such as the Apple HomePod or Google Nest Hub Max), as these give you an easier way to communicate with your system.

Google has the advantage here, as Google Home supports a wide range of Hub devices from various manufacturers. HomeKit, meanwhile, is relegated to using a smaller pool of Hub devices — such as the HomePod or Apple TV 4K.

Winner: Google Home

Compatible devices

The Google Nest Learning Thermostat in stainless steel.
Nest

As was the case for Hub devices, the list of compatible devices (such as smart speakers, light bulbs, thermostats, and smart locks) that sync with Google Home is much longer than for HomeKit. Apple has locked down the HomeKit ecosystem tightly, and while that means all of the available HomeKit products integrate seamlessly with each other, it also means you have a much smaller catalog to pull from.

To get a better look at what smart home devices work with each platform, check out our roundups of the best Google Home devices and best HomeKit devices.

Winner: Google Home

Ease of use

Apple HomePod 2023
Zeke Jones / Digital Trends

Both Google Home and HomeKit are intuitive and easy to use, thanks to their accompanying smartphone apps and easy access to voice commands. However, the HomeKit app is not readily available on Android. It works great with iOS products, but anyone using a Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel device will want to look elsewhere for their smart home needs.

Winner: Google Home

Verdict

Because of its availability on both iOS and Android, a wide variety of compatible products, and tons of unique Hubs to drive the action, Google Home is the better smart home platform for most homeowners. Setting up a Google Home-powered smart home allows you the freedom to select products that work best for your needs (and budget), and its lineup of first-party products can often go toe-to-toe with those offered by Apple.

Conversely, if you’re an Apple loyalist and already own an iPhone, you might find HomeKit to be the better option. Its catalog of devices isn’t nearly as robust as Google Home’s, but what is available is high quality and typically among the best on the market. And because HomeKit is so tightly regulated by Apple, it might offer better security than Google Home — which allows dozens of third-party manufacturers with questionable privacy histories to use the platform.

At the end of the day, choosing HomeKit or Google Home comes down to personal preference. Most homes would be best served by Google Home and its gigantic catalog, but Apple enthusiasts will find much to love about HomeKit and its exclusivity.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
The best smart home devices for 2023
The X2 Omni dock up against a wall.

With hundreds of incredible products available, it can be intimidating to piece together a smart home. From smart displays and thermostats to smart light bulbs and video doorbells, not only are there tons of categories to browse, but each category is filled with highly reviewed products that can be difficult to distinguish from one another. If you’re in the market for a new smart home gadget or are just starting your smart home journey, there are tons of factors to consider.

If you need help navigating all the products, here’s a look at the best smart home devices of 2023 across a wide variety of categories. It’s hard to go wrong with products from big names like Ring, Arlo, Amazon, and Google, but if you need a bit more guidance, here are some of our top picks.
Voice assistant

Read more
The best Amazon Alexa smart speakers
Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen, 2020 release)on a table with a yoga matt and water bottle.

The best Alexa smart speakers don't just offer support for the voice assistant -- they also sound good, look good, and bring great value to your home. They often serve as the "brains" of a connected smart home, as you can give commands to the rest of your Alexa-enabled products just by talking to your smart speaker.

But with so many Alexa smart speakers on the market in 2023, it can be a challenge when narrowing down your options. It's hard to go wrong with anything from Amazon, Bose, Sonos, and other reputable brands – but which model is best for you?

Read more
Save 50% on Ancestry gift memberships and AncestryDNA kits for Cyber Week [Sponsored]
Family sharing AncestryDNA Black Friday deals kit

For Black Friday and Cyber Monday, most people will be sifting through the massive selection of electronics, entertainment, smart home, and home goods deals, and who can blame them? Some amazing discounts are being offered earlier than ever before this year. Personally, I tend to go with the unique services and goods on sale, like AncestryDNA® and Ancestry® Gift Memberships. You can learn a lot about your past, specifically your ancestors and  DNA. Right now, for Black Friday and Cyber Week, Ancestry is offering 50% off many of its products.

AncestryDNA kits are 50% off, bringing the base kit down to just $49 -- we'll talk about what that includes further. Also on sale are AncestryDNA gift memberships, the perfect way to gift the experience to friends and family. You can grab those for 50% off too. Really, for the regular price of a kit, you could get two, one for yourself and one for a relative. What a way to start the holiday season, right?

Read more