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Home Assistant vs MQTT

Home Assistant logo

Home Assistant

Smart Home

Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MQTT logo

MQTT

Smart Home

Lightweight messaging protocol for IoT devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; MQTT mQTT is an open-source protocol standard with no commercial pricing; not a commercial product
  • They diverge on capability: Home Assistant covers Local Control, MQTT covers Publish-Subscribe.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Home Assistant and MQTT actually diverge.

Attributes where Home Assistant and MQTT differ
AttributeHome AssistantMQTT
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, WindowsAny platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing
Founded20131999

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (open-source), free tier (Yes), 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 Home Assistant

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

Only in MQTT

  • Publish-Subscribe
  • Lightweight
  • QoS Levels
  • Retained Messages
  • IoT platforms
  • Home automation
  • Cloud services
  • Edge devices

What people use each for

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

Home Assistant

  • Home automationnot MQTT
  • Energy monitoringnot MQTT
  • Security systemsnot MQTT
  • Device integrationnot MQTT

MQTT

  • IoT messagingnot Home Assistant
  • Sensor datanot Home Assistant
  • Real-time updatesnot Home Assistant
  • Device telemetrynot 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

MQTT

  • MQTT is an open-source protocol standard with no commercial pricing; not a commercial product

Pricing, plan by plan

Home Assistant

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

MQTT

Free
  • Open ProtocolFree
    • Publish-subscribe
    • Lightweight
    • QoS levels

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.
Home Assistant review

Choose MQTT if

  • You need publish-subscribe.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Any platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing.
  • You also want lightweight.
MQTT review

Questions people ask

Is Home Assistant or MQTT better?
Neither clearly leads. Home Assistant starts at Free and MQTT at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Home Assistant or MQTT?
Home Assistant starts at Free and MQTT at Free.
Does Home Assistant or MQTT run on more platforms?
Home Assistant runs on Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows. MQTT runs on Any platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing.
Can I use Home Assistant for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 MQTT is typically brought in for.
What can Home Assistant do that MQTT cannot?
Home Assistant covers Local Control, Privacy First, Automation Engine, Custom Integrations. MQTT covers Publish-Subscribe, Lightweight, QoS Levels, Retained Messages.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Home Assistant: Does Home Assistant software cost anything?

Home Assistant core software is completely free and open source. It is operated by the Open Home Foundation as a non-profit, which means it cannot be sold or acquired. Commercial products like Home Assistant hardware are sold separately.

Source
MQTT: Does MQTT have a commercial license cost?

MQTT is an open-source communication protocol and standard. No pricing is published because MQTT itself is not a commercial product for sale.

Source
Home Assistant: Are there paid products from Home Assistant?

Home Assistant offers official hardware products including Home Assistant Green, Connect ZBT-2, Connect ZWA-2, and Voice Preview Edition, which have separate pricing. Nabu Casa provides commercial services as an official partner.

Source
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