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Amazon Alexa vs Homey

Amazon Alexa logo

Amazon Alexa

Smart Home

Amazon's voice-controlled smart home ecosystem

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Homey logo

Homey

Smart Home

Connect all your smart home devices in one app

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Amazon Alexa has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Alexa requires Amazon Prime membership for full Alexa+ features on devices; Homey homey Cloud without a subscription connects at most 5 devices
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Alexa covers Voice Control, Homey covers Multi-protocol support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Alexa and Homey actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Alexa and Homey differ
AttributeAmazon AlexaHomey
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsEcho devices, Fire TV, Android, IOSIOS, Android, Web
Founded19942014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Smart Home).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amazon Alexa

  • Voice Control
  • Skills Library
  • Routines
  • Multi-Room Audio
  • 100,000+ skills
  • Ring
  • Blink
  • Fire TV

Only in Homey

  • Multi-protocol support
  • Advanced flows
  • Voice control
  • Energy insights
  • Timeline
  • Zones
  • Google Assistant
  • Amazon Alexa

Both cover

  • Android support
  • IOS support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amazon Alexa

  • Controlling smart home devices and IoT systemsnot Homey
  • Shopping and price tracking on Amazon ecosystemnot Homey
  • Setting reminders, playing music, and managing daily tasksnot Homey
  • Getting personalized news, weather, and calendar updatesnot Homey

Homey

  • Bringing Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices from different brands into one appnot Amazon Alexa
  • Building home automations visually with Flownot Amazon Alexa
  • Charting device and sensor history through Insightsnot Amazon Alexa

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amazon Alexa

  • Requires Amazon Prime membership for full Alexa+ features on devices
  • Voice assistant functionality depends on internet connectivity
  • Certain content, apps, and services require separate subscriptions beyond Prime
  • Privacy concerns with always-listening device architecture

Homey

  • Homey Cloud without a subscription connects at most 5 devices
  • Unlimited devices require the Homey Premium subscription at $2.99 per month
  • Advanced Flow, Insights, and Logic and Variables are locked behind Homey Premium
  • The free month of Premium is only offered to new subscribers signing up through iOS or Android

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon Alexa

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Voice control
    • Skills
    • Smart home control
  • Alexa Guard Plus$4.99/month
    • Emergency response
    • Hands-free calling
    • Enhanced alerts

Homey

On request
  • Homey Pro$399/month
    • Local processing
    • 1000+ apps
    • Advanced flows
  • Homey Bridge$69/month
    • Cloud processing
    • 500+ apps
    • Basic flows

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon Alexa if

  • You need voice control.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Echo devices, Fire TV, Android, IOS.
  • You also want skills library.
Amazon Alexa review

Choose Homey if

  • You need multi-protocol support.
  • You work on IOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want advanced flows.
Homey review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Alexa or Homey better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Alexa starts at Free and Homey at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Alexa or Homey?
Amazon Alexa has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Amazon Alexa and On request for Homey.
Does Amazon Alexa or Homey run on more platforms?
Amazon Alexa runs on Echo devices, Fire TV, Android, IOS. Homey runs on IOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Amazon Alexa for free?
Yes. Amazon Alexa has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Homey starts at On request.
What is Amazon Alexa best used for?
Amazon Alexa is most often used for controlling smart home devices and iot systems, shopping and price tracking on amazon ecosystem, setting reminders, playing music, and managing daily tasks, getting personalized news, weather, and calendar updates. Of those, controlling smart home devices and iot systems and shopping and price tracking on amazon ecosystem are not what Homey is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Alexa do that Homey cannot?
Amazon Alexa covers Voice Control, Skills Library, Routines, Multi-Room Audio. Homey covers Multi-protocol support, Advanced flows, Voice control, Energy insights. Both handle Android support, IOS support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon Alexa: What are the limitations of the free Alexa tier?

The free Alexa+ tier (included with Prime) provides full functionality across compatible devices, but certain premium content, apps, and services require separate paid subscriptions beyond Prime membership.

Source
Homey: Is there a monthly subscription for Homey Pro or just a one-time payment?

Homey Pro costs 449 euros as a one-time purchase with no recurring monthly fees. The only optional recurring cost is 10 euros per year for cloud backups.

Source
Homey: What are the limits for Homey Cloud's free tier?

The free tier of Homey Cloud supports up to 5 connected devices. To add more devices, you need to upgrade to the paid subscription at 2.99 euros per month.

Source
Homey: What's the cost difference between Homey Cloud and Homey Pro over a year?

Homey Cloud costs 35.88 euros per year (2.99 euros per month). Homey Pro costs 449 euros upfront with no monthly fees, but includes all features and is a one-time purchase.

Source
Homey: How long will Homey Pro receive software updates?

Homey Pro will receive software updates until at least June 2031, ensuring continued improvements and security patches.

Source
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