IoT & Smart Home · head to head
Zigbee Alliance vs Homey
Zigbee Alliance
IoT & Smart Home
Low-power wireless standard for IoT and smart home
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Homey
IoT & Smart Home
Connect all your smart home devices in one app
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Zigbee Alliance has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Zigbee Alliance the Internet Archive's capture of the Connectivity Standards Alliance's Zigbee page on 4 January 2024 confirmed Zigbee is a protocol standard rather than a purchased product, with the Alliance's revenue coming from member dues and per-device certification fees rather than a software price list.; Homey homey Cloud without a subscription connects at most 5 devices
- They diverge on capability: Zigbee Alliance covers Low Power, Homey covers Multi-protocol support.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Zigbee Alliance and Homey actually diverge.
| Attribute | Zigbee Alliance | Homey |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | open-source | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Zigbee devices, Mesh networks, Smart home hubs, IoT platforms | IOS, Android, Web |
| Founded | 2002 | 2014 |
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 Zigbee Alliance
- Low Power
- Mesh Networking
- Self-Healing
- Scalable
- Smart home devices
- Hubs
- Controllers
- Integration platforms
Only in Homey
- Multi-protocol support
- Advanced flows
- Voice control
- Energy insights
- Timeline
- Zones
- Google Assistant
- Amazon Alexa
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Zigbee Alliance
- Smart lightingnot Homey
- Sensor networksnot Homey
- Home automationnot Homey
- Industrial monitoringnot Homey
Homey
- Bringing Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices from different brands into one appnot Zigbee Alliance
- Building home automations visually with Flownot Zigbee Alliance
- Charting device and sensor history through Insightsnot Zigbee Alliance
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Zigbee Alliance
- The Internet Archive's capture of the Connectivity Standards Alliance's Zigbee page on 4 January 2024 confirmed Zigbee is a protocol standard rather than a purchased product, with the Alliance's revenue coming from member dues and per-device certification fees rather than a software price list.
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
Zigbee Alliance
Free- Open SpecificationFree
- Low power mesh
- Self-healing
- Interoperable
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 Zigbee Alliance if
- You need low power.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Zigbee devices, Mesh networks, Smart home hubs, IoT platforms.
- You also want mesh networking.
Choose Homey if
- You need multi-protocol support.
- You work on IOS, Android, Web.
- You also want advanced flows.
Questions people ask
- Is Zigbee Alliance or Homey better?
- Neither clearly leads. Zigbee Alliance starts at Free and Homey at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Zigbee Alliance or Homey?
- Zigbee Alliance has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Zigbee Alliance and On request for Homey.
- Does Zigbee Alliance or Homey run on more platforms?
- Zigbee Alliance runs on Zigbee devices, Mesh networks, Smart home hubs, IoT platforms. Homey runs on IOS, Android, Web.
- Can I use Zigbee Alliance for free?
- Yes. Zigbee Alliance has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Homey starts at On request.
- What is Zigbee Alliance best used for?
- Zigbee Alliance is most often used for smart lighting, sensor networks, home automation, industrial monitoring. Of those, smart lighting and sensor networks are not what Homey is typically brought in for.
- What can Zigbee Alliance do that Homey cannot?
- Zigbee Alliance covers Low Power, Mesh Networking, Self-Healing, Scalable. Homey covers Multi-protocol support, Advanced flows, Voice control, Energy insights.