IoT & Smart Home · head to head
Homey vs Node-RED
Homey
IoT & Smart Home
Connect all your smart home devices in one app
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Node-RED
IoT & Smart Home
Flow-based programming tool for IoT and home automation
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Node-RED 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; Node-RED the Node-RED editor ships unsecured: anyone who can reach its IP address can open the editor and deploy changes until adminAuth is configured
- They diverge on capability: Homey covers Multi-protocol support, Node-RED covers Visual Editor.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Homey and Node-RED actually diverge.
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 Node-RED
- Visual Editor
- Flow-Based Programming
- Extensible
- HTTP Integration
- MQTT
- REST API
- WebSocket
- Database
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 Node-RED
- Building home automations visually with Flownot Node-RED
- Charting device and sensor history through Insightsnot Node-RED
Node-RED
- Wiring together devices, APIs and online services with a visual flow editornot Homey
- Building home and industrial automation logic on a local servernot Homey
- Prototyping MQTT and HTTP integrations without writing full applicationsnot 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
Node-RED
- The Node-RED editor ships unsecured: anyone who can reach its IP address can open the editor and deploy changes until adminAuth is configured
- HTTPS is off by default and must be enabled through the https setting
- HTTP endpoints and dashboards exposed by flows are unauthenticated unless httpNodeAuth is configured separately
- All three security layers are optional additions the administrator must implement by editing the settings file
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
Node-RED
Free- Community EditionFree
- Visual editor
- Extensible
- REST API
Which should you pick?
Choose Homey if
- You need multi-protocol support.
- You work on IOS, Android, Web.
- You also want advanced flows.
Choose Node-RED if
- You need visual editor.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Node.js, Docker, Cloud, Edge devices.
- You also want flow-based programming.
Questions people ask
- Is Homey or Node-RED better?
- Neither clearly leads. Homey starts at On request and Node-RED at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Homey or Node-RED?
- Node-RED has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Homey and Free for Node-RED.
- Does Homey or Node-RED run on more platforms?
- Homey runs on IOS, Android, Web. Node-RED runs on Node.js, Docker, Cloud, Edge devices.
- Can I use Node-RED for free?
- Yes. Node-RED 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 Node-RED is typically brought in for.
- What can Homey do that Node-RED cannot?
- Homey covers Multi-protocol support, Advanced flows, Voice control, Energy insights. Node-RED covers Visual Editor, Flow-Based Programming, Extensible, HTTP Integration.