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IoT & Smart Home · head to head

LIFX vs Homey

LIFX logo

LIFX

IoT & Smart Home

WiFi-enabled smart lights with no hub required

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Homey logo

Homey

IoT & Smart Home

Connect all your smart home devices in one app

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Homey homey Cloud without a subscription connects at most 5 devices
  • They diverge on capability: LIFX covers No Hub Required, Homey covers Multi-protocol support.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LIFX and Homey actually diverge.

Attributes where LIFX and Homey differ
AttributeLIFXHomey
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
PlatformsIOS, Android, Windows, MacOSIOS, Android, Web
Founded20122014

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 Homey

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

Both cover

  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

LIFX

  • Ambient lightingnot Homey
  • Gaming setupnot Homey
  • Photography lightingnot Homey
  • Smart homenot Homey

Homey

  • Bringing Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices from different brands into one appnot LIFX
  • Building home automations visually with Flownot LIFX
  • Charting device and sensor history through Insightsnot 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.

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

Pricing, plan by plan

LIFX

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

Homey

On request
  • Homey Pro$399/month
    • Local processing
    • 1000+ apps
    • Advanced flows
  • Homey Bridge$69/month
    • Cloud processing
    • 500+ apps
    • Basic flows

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 Homey if

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

Questions people ask

Is LIFX or Homey better?
Neither clearly leads. LIFX starts at On request and Homey at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LIFX or Homey?
LIFX starts at On request and Homey at On request.
Does LIFX or Homey run on more platforms?
LIFX runs on IOS, Android, Windows, MacOS. Homey runs on IOS, Android, Web.
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 Homey is typically brought in for.
What can LIFX do that Homey cannot?
LIFX covers No Hub Required, 16 Million Colors, WiFi Direct, High Brightness. Homey covers Multi-protocol support, Advanced flows, Voice control, Energy insights. Both handle IOS support, Android support.
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