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IoT & Smart Home · head to head

Home Assistant vs SolarWinds

Home Assistant logo

Home Assistant

IoT & Smart Home

Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

SolarWinds

Energy & Utilities

Solar asset performance monitoring and management

From
$2/kW/month
Rated
-
Full review

The short version

  • Only Home Assistant has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: Home Assistant covers Local Control, SolarWinds covers Real-time monitoring.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Home Assistant and SolarWinds differ
AttributeHome AssistantSolarWinds
Starting priceFree$2/kW/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, WindowsWeb, Mobile, Api
CategoryIoT & Smart HomeEnergy & Utilities
Founded20132015

Identical on both: 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 SolarWinds

  • Real-time monitoring
  • Performance analytics
  • Alarm management
  • O&M workflows
  • Reporting
  • Benchmarking
  • Weather integration
  • Financial tracking

What people use each for

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

Home Assistant

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

SolarWinds

  • Solar monitoringnot Home Assistant
  • Performance optimizationnot Home Assistant
  • O&M managementnot Home Assistant
  • Portfolio reportingnot Home Assistant
  • Investor reportingnot 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

SolarWinds

Nothing recorded yet. See the SolarWinds review.

Pricing, plan by plan

Home Assistant

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

SolarWinds

$2/kW/month
  • Monitor$2/kW/month
    • Real-time monitoring
    • Performance tracking
    • Alerts
  • Optimize$4/kW/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Degradation analysis
    • Benchmarking
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Portfolio management
    • Custom integrations
    • Financial modeling

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 SolarWinds if

  • You need real-time monitoring.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want performance analytics.
SolarWinds review

Questions people ask

Is Home Assistant or SolarWinds better?
Neither clearly leads. Home Assistant starts at Free and SolarWinds at $2/kW/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Home Assistant or SolarWinds?
Home Assistant has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Home Assistant and $2/kW/month for SolarWinds.
Does Home Assistant or SolarWinds run on more platforms?
Home Assistant runs on Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows. SolarWinds runs on Web, Mobile, Api.
Can I use Home Assistant for free?
Yes. Home Assistant has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SolarWinds starts at $2/kW/month.
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 SolarWinds is typically brought in for.
What can Home Assistant do that SolarWinds cannot?
Home Assistant covers Local Control, Privacy First, Automation Engine, Custom Integrations. SolarWinds covers Real-time monitoring, Performance analytics, Alarm management, O&M workflows.
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