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Software · head to head

AVEVA PI System vs Home Assistant

AVEVA PI System logo

AVEVA PI System

Software

Industrial data infrastructure for real-time insights

From
On request
Rated
-
Home Assistant logo

Home Assistant

Software

Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Home Assistant has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AVEVA PI System pricing is not published and comes through an account representative; Home Assistant add-ons run only on Home Assistant Operating System installations, and Container installations have no access to them
  • They diverge on capability: AVEVA PI System covers Real-time data collection, Home Assistant covers Local Control.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AVEVA PI System and Home Assistant actually diverge.

Attributes where AVEVA PI System and Home Assistant differ
AttributeAVEVA PI SystemHome Assistant
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelone-timeopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsDesktop, Web, Mobile, ApiLinux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows
Founded19672013

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

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 AVEVA PI System

  • Real-time data collection
  • Time-series data storage
  • Asset framework
  • Visualization
  • Analytics
  • Event management
  • Notifications
  • Data integration

Only in Home Assistant

  • Local Control
  • Privacy First
  • Automation Engine
  • Custom Integrations
  • 150+ integrations
  • Voice Control
  • Mobile App
  • REST API

What people use each for

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

AVEVA PI System

  • Collecting and historising real-time process data from plant equipmentnot Home Assistant
  • Operations dashboards and alerting through PI Visionnot Home Assistant
  • Edge data collection where connectivity is intermittentnot Home Assistant
  • Pulling process data into Excel analysis with PI DataLinknot Home Assistant
  • Utilities, pharma, mining and oil and gas process monitoringnot Home Assistant

Home Assistant

  • Home automationnot AVEVA PI System
  • Energy monitoringnot AVEVA PI System
  • Security systemsnot AVEVA PI System
  • Device integrationnot AVEVA PI System

Where each one falls short

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

AVEVA PI System

  • Pricing is not published and comes through an account representative
  • The vendor is moving to a subscription commercial model, so perpetual licence expectations no longer hold
  • Made up of several separately named components, including PI Server, PI Vision, Edge Data Store and the adapters and connectors needed per data source

Home Assistant

  • Add-ons run only on Home Assistant Operating System installations, and Container installations have no access to them
  • Thread and Z-Wave are controlled by add-ons, so a Container install has no out-of-the-box support for either
  • A Container installation means bringing your own Linux host with Docker and handling updates by hand
  • The recommended install path expects dedicated hardware such as a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 with at least 2 GB of RAM, an Odroid, or an x86-64 machine
  • Every documented hardware option requires a wired Ethernet connection

Pricing, plan by plan

AVEVA PI System

On request
  • Data Archive$undefined/license
    • Time-series data storage
    • High-speed data collection
    • Data compression
  • Operations$undefined/license
    • PI Vision dashboards
    • AF analytics
    • Event frames
  • Enterprise$undefined/license
    • PI Integrator
    • Cloud connectivity
    • Advanced analytics

Home Assistant

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Unlimited devices
    • Full automation
    • Local control

Which should you pick?

Choose AVEVA PI System if

  • You need real-time data collection.
  • You work on Desktop, Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want time-series data storage.

Choose Home Assistant if

  • You need local control.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want privacy first.

Questions people ask

Is AVEVA PI System or Home Assistant better?
Neither clearly leads. AVEVA PI System starts at On request and Home Assistant at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AVEVA PI System or Home Assistant?
Home Assistant has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for AVEVA PI System and Free for Home Assistant.
Does AVEVA PI System or Home Assistant run on more platforms?
AVEVA PI System runs on Desktop, Web, Mobile, Api. Home Assistant runs on Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows.
Can I use Home Assistant for free?
Yes. Home Assistant has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. AVEVA PI System starts at On request.
What is AVEVA PI System best used for?
AVEVA PI System is most often used for collecting and historising real-time process data from plant equipment, operations dashboards and alerting through pi vision, edge data collection where connectivity is intermittent, pulling process data into excel analysis with pi datalink. Of those, collecting and historising real-time process data from plant equipment and operations dashboards and alerting through pi vision are not what Home Assistant is typically brought in for.
What can AVEVA PI System do that Home Assistant cannot?
AVEVA PI System covers Real-time data collection, Time-series data storage, Asset framework, Visualization. Home Assistant covers Local Control, Privacy First, Automation Engine, Custom Integrations.

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