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Smart Home · head to head

Home Assistant vs Wyze

Home Assistant logo

Home Assistant

Smart Home

Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wyze logo

Wyze

Smart Home

Affordable smart home products for everyone

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Wyze without a paid Cam Plus plan, cloud clips are capped at 12 seconds
  • They diverge on capability: Home Assistant covers Local Control, Wyze covers Affordable Prices.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Home Assistant and Wyze differ
AttributeHome AssistantWyze
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, WindowsIOS, Android, Web
Founded20132017

Identical on both: 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 Wyze

  • Affordable Prices
  • Wide Product Range
  • Cloud Storage Options
  • Local Storage
  • Alexa
  • Google Home
  • IFTTT
  • SmartThings

What people use each for

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

Home Assistant

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

Wyze

  • Low cost home security cameras with cloud event recordingnot Home Assistant
  • Motion and person detection alerts on a phonenot Home Assistant
  • Viewing and reviewing camera footage without a local recordernot 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

Wyze

  • Without a paid Cam Plus plan, cloud clips are capped at 12 seconds
  • Cam Plus Lite records a clip only once every 5 minutes, so events inside the cooldown are never captured
  • Cam Plus Lite cloud storage is a rolling 14 days for motion events only
  • Cam Plus Lite is a Name Your Price tier whose suggested contribution scales with the number of cameras on the account

Pricing, plan by plan

Home Assistant

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

Wyze

On request
  • Cam Plus$1.99/month
    • Person detection
    • 14-day cloud storage
    • No cooldown
  • Cam Unlimited$9.99/month
    • Unlimited cameras
    • All Cam Plus features

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 Wyze if

  • You need affordable prices.
  • You work on IOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want wide product range.
Wyze review

Questions people ask

Is Home Assistant or Wyze better?
Neither clearly leads. Home Assistant starts at Free and Wyze at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Home Assistant or Wyze?
Home Assistant has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Home Assistant and On request for Wyze.
Does Home Assistant or Wyze run on more platforms?
Home Assistant runs on Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows. Wyze 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. Wyze 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 Wyze is typically brought in for.
What can Home Assistant do that Wyze cannot?
Home Assistant covers Local Control, Privacy First, Automation Engine, Custom Integrations. Wyze covers Affordable Prices, Wide Product Range, Cloud Storage Options, Local Storage.

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
Wyze: Is there a shipping cost?

Free shipping is available on orders of $59 or more.

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
Wyze: What is the return policy?

Wyze offers a 30-day return policy on purchases.

Source
Wyze: Do I need a paid subscription to use Wyze cameras?

No, there are free features with zero limits on livestreams and a free user-friendly app, with no hidden fees. Cam Plus security plans are available as optional add-ons.

Source
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