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Smart Home · head to head

Home Assistant vs Parabola

Home Assistant logo

Home Assistant

Smart Home

Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Parabola logo

Parabola

Automation Integration

Visual flow automation for modern teams

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; Parabola the Basic plan allows 1 user and 1,000 credits with limited AI
  • They diverge on capability: Home Assistant covers Local Control, Parabola covers Visual workflow builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Home Assistant and Parabola differ
AttributeHome AssistantParabola
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, WindowsWeb
CategorySmart HomeAutomation Integration
Founded20132015

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
  • Linux support

Only in Parabola

  • Visual workflow builder
  • Data transformation
  • Conditional logic
  • Looping
  • Error handling
  • Monitoring
  • Scheduling
  • 300+ apps

Both cover

  • REST API

What people use each for

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

Home Assistant

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

Parabola

  • Workflow automation for operations and finance teamsnot Home Assistant
  • Data integration across 1,000+ sourcesnot Home Assistant
  • Automation and reporting workflowsnot 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

Parabola

  • The Basic plan allows 1 user and 1,000 credits with limited AI
  • No price is published for either the self serve or the business tier
  • Credits are consumed when agents run, and further credits are bought pay as you go
  • Role based access control, SSO, version history and SLAs all sit on the unpriced business plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Home Assistant

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

Parabola

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Parabola review.

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 Parabola if

  • You need visual workflow builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want data transformation.
Parabola review

Questions people ask

Is Home Assistant or Parabola better?
Neither clearly leads. Home Assistant starts at Free and Parabola at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Home Assistant or Parabola?
Home Assistant starts at Free and Parabola at Free.
Does Home Assistant or Parabola run on more platforms?
Home Assistant runs on Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows. Parabola runs on Web.
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 Parabola is typically brought in for.
What can Home Assistant do that Parabola cannot?
Home Assistant covers Local Control, Privacy First, Automation Engine, Custom Integrations. Parabola covers Visual workflow builder, Data transformation, Conditional logic, Looping. Both handle REST API.

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
Parabola: How much does Parabola cost?

Parabola does not publish specific pricing rates. The service uses a credit-based system where credits are consumed when agents run. Self-serve plans include a monthly credit allotment, and Business plans require a custom quote.

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
Parabola: Does Parabola offer a free plan?

Yes, Parabola offers a free tier indefinitely for self-serve users with limited credits and basic features including the Prowork agent builder and pre-built integrations.

Source
Parabola: What features are included in Parabola's Business plan?

Business plans include all self-serve features plus automation engineer enablement, deployment support, proof of concept on production data, enterprise security with SSO, service level agreements, and a dedicated account manager.

Source
Parabola: Can I upgrade from free to Business later?

Yes, customers can start on free or self-serve plans and upgrade to Business plans at any time.

Source
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