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IoT & Smart Home · head to head

LIFX vs Home Assistant

LIFX logo

LIFX

IoT & Smart Home

WiFi-enabled smart lights with no hub required

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Home Assistant logo

Home Assistant

IoT & Smart Home

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: LIFX the Internet Archive's capture of LIFX's products page on 19 July 2016 priced the White 800 bulb at $39.99 USD (890 lumens) and the Color 1000 bulb at $59.99 USD (1,055 lumens); this is a 2016 capture and current prices likely differ.; Home Assistant add-ons run only on Home Assistant Operating System installations, and Container installations have no access to them
  • They diverge on capability: LIFX covers No Hub Required, Home Assistant covers Local Control.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where LIFX and Home Assistant differ
AttributeLIFXHome Assistant
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelone-timeopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsIOS, Android, Windows, MacOSLinux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows
Founded20122013

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 LIFX

  • No Hub Required
  • 16 Million Colors
  • WiFi Direct
  • High Brightness
  • HomeKit
  • Alexa
  • Google Home
  • SmartThings

Only in Home Assistant

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

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • MacOS support

What people use each for

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

LIFX

  • Ambient lightingnot Home Assistant
  • Gaming setupnot Home Assistant
  • Photography lightingnot Home Assistant
  • Smart homenot Home Assistant

Home Assistant

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

LIFX

  • The Internet Archive's capture of LIFX's products page on 19 July 2016 priced the White 800 bulb at $39.99 USD (890 lumens) and the Color 1000 bulb at $59.99 USD (1,055 lumens); this is a 2016 capture and current prices likely differ.

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

LIFX

On request
  • LIFX Bulb$40/month
    • 16M colors
    • WiFi direct
    • No hub required

Home Assistant

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

Which should you pick?

Choose LIFX if

  • You need no hub required.
  • You work on IOS, Android, Windows, MacOS.
  • You also want 16 million colors.
LIFX 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 LIFX or Home Assistant better?
Neither clearly leads. LIFX 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, LIFX or Home Assistant?
Home Assistant has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for LIFX and Free for Home Assistant.
Does LIFX or Home Assistant run on more platforms?
LIFX runs on IOS, Android, Windows, MacOS. 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. LIFX starts at On request.
What is LIFX best used for?
LIFX is most often used for ambient lighting, gaming setup, photography lighting, smart home. Of those, ambient lighting and gaming setup are not what Home Assistant is typically brought in for.
What can LIFX do that Home Assistant cannot?
LIFX covers No Hub Required, 16 Million Colors, WiFi Direct, High Brightness. Home Assistant covers Local Control, Privacy First, Automation Engine, Custom Integrations. Both handle Windows support, MacOS support.
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