Advanced　controls　could　enhance　buildings’　energy　efficiency　and　operational　flexibility　while　guaranteeing　the　indoor　comfort.　The　control　performance　of　reinforcement　learning　(RL)　and　model　predictive　control　(MPC)　have　been　widely　studied　in　the　literature.　However,　in　existing　studies,　the　reinforcement　learning　and　model　predictive　control　are　tested　in　separate　environments,　making　it　challenging　to　directly　compare　their　performance.　In　this　paper,　RL　and　MPC　controls　are　implemented　and　compared　with　traditional　rule-based　controls　in　an　open-source　virtual　environment　to　control　a　heat　pump　system　of　a　residential　house.　The　RL　controllers　were　developed　with　three　widely-used　algorithms:　Deep　Deterministic　Policy　Gradient　(DDPG),　Dueling　Deep　Q　Networks　(DDQN),　and　Soft　Actor　Critic　(SAC),　and　the　MPC　controller　was　developed　using　reduced-order　thermal　resistance-capacity　network　model.　The　building　optimization　testing　(BOPTEST)　framework　is　employed　as　a　standardized　virtual　building　simulator　to　conduct　this　study.　The　test　case　BOPTEST　Hydronic　Heat　Pump　is　selected　for　the　assessment　and　benchmarking　of　the　control　performance,　data　efficiency,　implementation　efforts　and　computational　demands　of　the　RL　and　MPC　controllers.　The　comparison　results　revealed　that　for　the　RL　controllers,　only　the　DDPG　algorithm　outperforms　the　baseline　controller　in　both　the　typical　and　peak　heating　scenarios.　The　MPC　controller　is　superior　to　the　RL　and　baseline　controllers　in　both　two　scenarios　because　it　can　take　the　best　possible　action　based　on　the　current　system　state　even　with　a　model　that　deviates　to　a　certain　degree　from　reality.　The　findings　of　this　study　shed　light　on　the　selection　of　advanced　building　controllers　among　two　promising　candidates:　MPC　and　RL.　©　2023　Elsevier　Ltd