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IoT & Smart Home · head to head

Particle vs Home Assistant

Particle logo

Particle

IoT & Smart Home

Edge-to-cloud IoT platform for connected devices

From
Free
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

  • Each has a real cost: Particle paid capacity is sold in blocks of 100 devices rather than per device, so 101 devices costs the same as 200; Home Assistant add-ons run only on Home Assistant Operating System installations, and Container installations have no access to them
  • They diverge on capability: Particle covers Device OS, Home Assistant covers Local Control.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Particle and Home Assistant differ
AttributeParticleHome Assistant
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
PlatformsParticle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile appsLinux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (IoT & Smart Home), founded (2013).

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 Particle

  • Device OS
  • Cloud Platform
  • Device Management
  • OTA Updates
  • WebHooks
  • Integration marketplace
  • 3rd party services
  • Particle devices support

Only in Home Assistant

  • Local Control
  • Privacy First
  • Automation Engine
  • Custom Integrations
  • 150+ integrations
  • Voice Control
  • Mobile App
  • Linux support

Both cover

  • REST API

What people use each for

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

Particle

  • Connecting cellular and wifi IoT devices to a managed cloud platformnot Home Assistant
  • Deploying firmware updates and collecting device telemetry at fleet scalenot Home Assistant

Home Assistant

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

Where each one falls short

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

Particle

  • Paid capacity is sold in blocks of 100 devices rather than per device, so 101 devices costs the same as 200
  • The Basic block is $299 a month and the Plus block $599 a month
  • The free tier allows 100 devices and 100,000 data operations a month
  • Data operations are the billing unit, so chatty firmware costs more than the device count suggests
  • No overage rates are published at any tier, so exceeding an allowance has no stated cost

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

Particle

Free
  • MakerFree
    • 5 free devices
    • Cloud access
    • Basic features
  • Production$100/month
    • Unlimited devices
    • Advanced analytics
    • Enterprise support

Home Assistant

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Particle if

  • You need device os.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Particle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps.
  • You also want cloud platform.
Particle 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 Particle or Home Assistant better?
Neither clearly leads. Particle starts at Free and Home Assistant at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Particle or Home Assistant?
Particle starts at Free and Home Assistant at Free.
Does Particle or Home Assistant run on more platforms?
Particle runs on Particle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps. Home Assistant runs on Linux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows.
Can I use Particle for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Particle best used for?
Particle is most often used for connecting cellular and wifi iot devices to a managed cloud platform, deploying firmware updates and collecting device telemetry at fleet scale. Of those, connecting cellular and wifi iot devices to a managed cloud platform and deploying firmware updates and collecting device telemetry at fleet scale are not what Home Assistant is typically brought in for.
What can Particle do that Home Assistant cannot?
Particle covers Device OS, Cloud Platform, Device Management, OTA Updates. Home Assistant covers Local Control, Privacy First, Automation Engine, Custom Integrations. Both handle REST API.
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