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IoT & Smart Home · head to head

Homey vs MQTT

Homey logo

Homey

IoT & Smart Home

Connect all your smart home devices in one app

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MQTT logo

MQTT

IoT & Smart Home

Lightweight messaging protocol for IoT devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MQTT 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; MQTT mQTT is an OASIS standard messaging protocol maintained by a standards committee, not sold by a vendor; there is no company-controlled price list, subscription, or edition to compare because implementations are independent open source or commercial products built on the spec
  • They diverge on capability: Homey covers Multi-protocol support, MQTT covers Publish-Subscribe.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Homey and MQTT actually diverge.

Attributes where Homey and MQTT differ
AttributeHomeyMQTT
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsIOS, Android, WebAny platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing
Founded20141999

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (IoT & 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 Homey

  • Multi-protocol support
  • Advanced flows
  • Voice control
  • Energy insights
  • Timeline
  • Zones
  • Google Assistant
  • Amazon Alexa

Only in MQTT

  • Publish-Subscribe
  • Lightweight
  • QoS Levels
  • Retained Messages
  • IoT platforms
  • Home automation
  • Cloud services
  • Edge devices

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

MQTT

  • IoT messagingnot Homey
  • Sensor datanot Homey
  • Real-time updatesnot Homey
  • Device telemetrynot 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

MQTT

  • MQTT is an OASIS standard messaging protocol maintained by a standards committee, not sold by a vendor; there is no company-controlled price list, subscription, or edition to compare because implementations are independent open source or commercial products built on the spec

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

MQTT

Free
  • Open ProtocolFree
    • Publish-subscribe
    • Lightweight
    • QoS levels

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 MQTT if

  • You need publish-subscribe.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Any platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing.
  • You also want lightweight.
MQTT review

Questions people ask

Is Homey or MQTT better?
Neither clearly leads. Homey starts at On request and MQTT at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Homey or MQTT?
MQTT has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Homey and Free for MQTT.
Does Homey or MQTT run on more platforms?
Homey runs on IOS, Android, Web. MQTT runs on Any platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing.
Can I use MQTT for free?
Yes. MQTT 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 MQTT is typically brought in for.
What can Homey do that MQTT cannot?
Homey covers Multi-protocol support, Advanced flows, Voice control, Energy insights. MQTT covers Publish-Subscribe, Lightweight, QoS Levels, Retained Messages.
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