IoT & Smart Home · head to head
Home Assistant vs Homey
Home Assistant
IoT & Smart Home
Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Homey
IoT & Smart Home
Connect all your smart home devices in one app
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Home Assistant has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Home Assistant add-ons run only on Home Assistant Operating System installations, and Container installations have no access to them; Homey homey Cloud without a subscription connects at most 5 devices
- They diverge on capability: Home Assistant covers Local Control, Homey covers Multi-protocol support.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Home Assistant and Homey actually diverge.
| Attribute | Home Assistant | Homey |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | open-source | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows | IOS, Android, Web |
| Founded | 2013 | 2014 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (IoT & 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 Home Assistant
- Local Control
- Privacy First
- Automation Engine
- Custom Integrations
- 150+ integrations
- Voice Control
- Mobile App
- REST API
Only in Homey
- Multi-protocol support
- Advanced flows
- Voice control
- Energy insights
- Timeline
- Zones
- Google Assistant
- Amazon Alexa
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Home Assistant
- Home automationnot Homey
- Energy monitoringnot Homey
- Security systemsnot Homey
- Device integrationnot Homey
Homey
- Bringing Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices from different brands into one appnot Home Assistant
- Building home automations visually with Flownot Home Assistant
- Charting device and sensor history through Insightsnot Home Assistant
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
Home Assistant
Free- Community EditionFree
- Unlimited devices
- Full automation
- Local control
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 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.
Choose Homey if
- You need multi-protocol support.
- You work on IOS, Android, Web.
- You also want advanced flows.
Questions people ask
- Is Home Assistant or Homey better?
- Neither clearly leads. Home Assistant 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, Home Assistant or Homey?
- Home Assistant has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Home Assistant and On request for Homey.
- Does Home Assistant or Homey run on more platforms?
- Home Assistant runs on Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows. Homey runs on IOS, Android, Web.
- Can I use Home Assistant for free?
- Yes. Home Assistant has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Homey starts at On request.
- What is Home Assistant best used for?
- Home Assistant is most often used for home automation, energy monitoring, security systems, device integration. Of those, home automation and energy monitoring are not what Homey is typically brought in for.
- What can Home Assistant do that Homey cannot?
- Home Assistant covers Local Control, Privacy First, Automation Engine, Custom Integrations. Homey covers Multi-protocol support, Advanced flows, Voice control, Energy insights.