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IoT & Smart Home · head to head

Home Assistant vs Mural

Home Assistant logo

Home Assistant

IoT & Smart Home

Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mural logo

Mural

Remote Work

The digital workspace for visual collaboration

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; Mural the free plan allows 3 editable murals at a time, so working on a fourth means archiving one
  • They diverge on capability: Home Assistant covers Local Control, Mural covers Infinite canvas.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Home Assistant and Mural differ
AttributeHome AssistantMural
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, WindowsWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryIoT & Smart HomeRemote Work
Founded20132011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Mural

  • Infinite canvas
  • Sticky notes
  • Shapes & connectors
  • Image uploads
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Templates
  • Voting & feedback
  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Home Assistant

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

Mural

  • Running collaborative workshops and retrospectives on a shared whiteboardnot Home Assistant
  • Mapping journeys and diagrams with a distributed teamnot 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

Mural

  • The free plan allows 3 editable murals at a time, so working on a fourth means archiving one
  • Mural AI and the Zoom and Webex integrations require Team+ at $9.99 per member per month billed annually
  • SSO and the Okta, Azure and GitHub integrations are Business only at $17.99 per member per month
  • Multiple workspaces, SCIM, audit logs and enforced 2FA are Enterprise only with no published price

Pricing, plan by plan

Home Assistant

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

Mural

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 mural
    • Basic shapes
    • File uploads
  • Team$16/month
    • Unlimited murals
    • Advanced templates
    • Team collaboration

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 Mural if

  • You need infinite canvas.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want sticky notes.
Mural review

Questions people ask

Is Home Assistant or Mural better?
Neither clearly leads. Home Assistant starts at Free and Mural at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Home Assistant or Mural?
Home Assistant starts at Free and Mural at Free.
Does Home Assistant or Mural run on more platforms?
Home Assistant runs on Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows. Mural runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Mural is typically brought in for.
What can Home Assistant do that Mural cannot?
Home Assistant covers Local Control, Privacy First, Automation Engine, Custom Integrations. Mural covers Infinite canvas, Sticky notes, Shapes & connectors, Image uploads.
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