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Homey vs Home Assistant

Homey logo

Homey

Software

Connect all your smart home devices in one app

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Home Assistant logo

Home Assistant

Software

Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first

From
Free
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: Homey homey Cloud without a subscription connects at most 5 devices; Home Assistant add-ons run only on Home Assistant Operating System installations, and Container installations have no access to them
  • They diverge on capability: Homey covers Multi-protocol support, Home Assistant covers Local Control.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Homey and Home Assistant differ
AttributeHomeyHome Assistant
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsIOS, Android, WebLinux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows
Founded20142013

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 Home Assistant

  • Local Control
  • Privacy First
  • Automation Engine
  • Custom Integrations
  • 150+ integrations
  • Voice Control
  • Mobile App
  • REST API

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 Home Assistant
  • Building home automations visually with Flownot Home Assistant
  • Charting device and sensor history through Insightsnot Home Assistant

Home Assistant

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

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

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

Home Assistant

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Homey if

  • You need multi-protocol support.
  • You work on IOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want advanced flows.
Homey review

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

Questions people ask

Is Homey or Home Assistant better?
Neither clearly leads. Homey starts at On request and Home Assistant at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Homey or Home Assistant?
Home Assistant has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Homey and Free for Home Assistant.
Does Homey or Home Assistant run on more platforms?
Homey runs on IOS, Android, Web. Home Assistant runs on Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows.
Can I use Home Assistant for free?
Yes. Home Assistant 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 Home Assistant is typically brought in for.
What can Homey do that Home Assistant cannot?
Homey covers Multi-protocol support, Advanced flows, Voice control, Energy insights. Home Assistant covers Local Control, Privacy First, Automation Engine, Custom Integrations.
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