Software · head to head
Homey vs Amazon Alexa
The short version
- Only Amazon Alexa has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Homey homey Cloud without a subscription connects at most 5 devices; Amazon Alexa amazon Alexa is a free consumer app (per Apple App Store listing under AMZN Mobile LLC) with no subscription required for core voice assistant functionality; premium content and some skills route through separate Amazon subscriptions such as Prime and Amazon Music
- They diverge on capability: Homey covers Multi-protocol support, Amazon Alexa covers Voice Control.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Homey and Amazon Alexa actually diverge.
| Attribute | Homey | Amazon Alexa |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | IOS, Android, Web | Echo devices, Fire TV, Android, IOS |
| Founded | 2014 | 1994 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Homey
- Multi-protocol support
- Advanced flows
- Voice control
- Energy insights
- Timeline
- Zones
- Google Assistant
- Amazon Alexa
Only in Amazon Alexa
- Voice Control
- Skills Library
- Routines
- Multi-Room Audio
- 100,000+ skills
- Ring
- Blink
- Fire TV
Both cover
- IOS support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Homey
- Bringing Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices from different brands into one appnot Amazon Alexa
- Building home automations visually with Flownot Amazon Alexa
- Charting device and sensor history through Insightsnot Amazon Alexa
Amazon Alexa
- Voice-controlled homenot Homey
- Smart shoppingnot Homey
- Entertainmentnot Homey
- Home securitynot Homey
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Homey
- Homey Cloud without a subscription connects at most 5 devices
- Unlimited devices require the Homey Premium subscription at $2.99 per month
- Advanced Flow, Insights, and Logic and Variables are locked behind Homey Premium
- The free month of Premium is only offered to new subscribers signing up through iOS or Android
Amazon Alexa
- Amazon Alexa is a free consumer app (per Apple App Store listing under AMZN Mobile LLC) with no subscription required for core voice assistant functionality; premium content and some skills route through separate Amazon subscriptions such as Prime and Amazon Music
Pricing, plan by plan
Homey
On request- Homey Pro$399/month
- Local processing
- 1000+ apps
- Advanced flows
- Homey Bridge$69/month
- Cloud processing
- 500+ apps
- Basic flows
Amazon Alexa
Free- FreeFree
- Voice control
- Skills
- Smart home control
- Alexa Guard Plus$4.99/month
- Emergency response
- Hands-free calling
- Enhanced alerts
Which should you pick?
Choose Homey if
- You need multi-protocol support.
- You work on IOS, Android, Web.
- You also want advanced flows.
Choose Amazon Alexa if
- You need voice control.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Echo devices, Fire TV, Android, IOS.
- You also want skills library.
Questions people ask
- Is Homey or Amazon Alexa better?
- Neither clearly leads. Homey starts at On request and Amazon Alexa at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Homey or Amazon Alexa?
- Amazon Alexa has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Homey and Free for Amazon Alexa.
- Does Homey or Amazon Alexa run on more platforms?
- Homey runs on IOS, Android, Web. Amazon Alexa runs on Echo devices, Fire TV, Android, IOS.
- Can I use Amazon Alexa for free?
- Yes. Amazon Alexa has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Homey starts at On request.
- What is Homey best used for?
- Homey is most often used for bringing zigbee, z-wave, wi-fi and bluetooth devices from different brands into one app, building home automations visually with flow, charting device and sensor history through insights. Of those, bringing zigbee, z-wave, wi-fi and bluetooth devices from different brands into one app and building home automations visually with flow are not what Amazon Alexa is typically brought in for.
- What can Homey do that Amazon Alexa cannot?
- Homey covers Multi-protocol support, Advanced flows, Voice control, Energy insights. Amazon Alexa covers Voice Control, Skills Library, Routines, Multi-Room Audio. Both handle IOS support, Android support.
Related pages
More on Amazon Alexa
Keep looking
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