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Yeelight vs Home Assistant

Yeelight logo

Yeelight

Software

Smart lighting for modern homes

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Home Assistant logo

Home Assistant

Software

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: Yeelight requires owning Yeelight-branded smart lighting hardware; the app itself is a controller with no standalone function; Home Assistant add-ons run only on Home Assistant Operating System installations, and Container installations have no access to them
  • They diverge on capability: Yeelight covers Color control, Home Assistant covers Local Control.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Yeelight and Home Assistant differ
AttributeYeelightHome Assistant
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelone-timeopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsIOS, AndroidLinux, Docker, Raspberry Pi, MacOS, Windows
Founded20122013

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Yeelight

  • Color control
  • Brightness dimming
  • Schedules
  • Music sync
  • Sunrise/sunset
  • Scenes
  • Google Assistant
  • Amazon Alexa

Only in Home Assistant

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

What people use each for

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

Yeelight

  • Ambient lightingnot Home Assistant
  • Entertainment syncnot Home Assistant
  • Automated schedulesnot Home Assistant
  • Energy savingnot Home Assistant

Home Assistant

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

Where each one falls short

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

Yeelight

  • Requires owning Yeelight-branded smart lighting hardware; the app itself is a controller with no standalone function
  • Requires iOS 16.2 or later, per the App Store listing

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

Yeelight

On request
  • Smart Bulb$15/month
    • WiFi
    • 16M colors
    • Voice control
  • Light Strip$30/month
    • Music sync
    • Extendable
    • Scene modes

Home Assistant

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Yeelight if

  • You need color control.
  • You work on IOS, Android.
  • You also want brightness dimming.
Yeelight 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 Yeelight or Home Assistant better?
Neither clearly leads. Yeelight 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, Yeelight or Home Assistant?
Home Assistant has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Yeelight and Free for Home Assistant.
Does Yeelight or Home Assistant run on more platforms?
Yeelight runs on IOS, Android. 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. Yeelight starts at On request.
What is Yeelight best used for?
Yeelight is most often used for ambient lighting, entertainment sync, automated schedules, energy saving. Of those, ambient lighting and entertainment sync are not what Home Assistant is typically brought in for.
What can Yeelight do that Home Assistant cannot?
Yeelight covers Color control, Brightness dimming, Schedules, Music sync. Home Assistant covers Local Control, Privacy First, Automation Engine, Custom Integrations.
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