Google Homevs
Amazon Alexa
Amazon Alexa: Amazon's voice-controlled smart home ecosystem
Google Home has been discontinued in 2019. This page is kept for the record, and for the alternatives below.
See what replaced itGoogle Home
Google's smart home platform with Google Assistant
As of 30 August 2026, Google Home is free to use. Google Home is a smart home platform that uses the Google Home app to set up and manage compatible smart home devices. Softwr lists it under Smart Home. Google Home is made by Google LLC, launched in 1998, available on iOS, Android, Web, Linux.
Overview
What Google Home does
Google Home is a smart home platform that uses the Google Home app to set up and manage compatible smart home devices. It integrates seamlessly with Google Assistant for voice control and supports thousands of devices from various brands.
What people use it for
- Controlling and automating smart home devices
- Viewing Nest camera feeds
- Creating automation routines
- Managing household device settings
- Voice control via Google Assistant
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about Google Home.
- Web version (home.google.com) has limited controls compared to the mobile app
- Battery-camera live streams on the web app auto-stop after 5 minutes
- Requires compatible Google/Nest or third-party smart-home hardware - it is a control app, not a standalone product
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of Google Home
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- Google HomevsApple HomeKit
Apple HomeKit: Apple's secure smart home platform integrated with Siri
- Google HomevsHome Assistant
Home Assistant: Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first
- Google HomevsNest
Nest: Google's smart home hardware and software ecosystem
Capabilities
Features
Google Assistant
Voice Control
Routines
Multi-Room Audio
10,000+ devices
Integration with 10,000+ devices
Nest products
Integration with Nest products
Chromecast
Integration with Chromecast
Third-party apps
Integration with Third-party apps
Android support
Available on Android
IOS support
Available on iOS
Web support
Available on Web
Smart Displays support
Available on Smart Displays
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is Google Home free?
The basic Google Home service is free. A paid subscription called Google Home Premium is available for enhanced features.
SourceWhat does the free tier of Google Home include?
The free tier includes basic device control, automation setup, access to Gemini voice assistant, suggested automations, and basic home dashboard tracking.
SourceWhat additional features does Google Home Premium unlock?
Premium adds enhanced Gemini-powered features, advanced video event descriptions, Home Brief summaries, video search by description, and advanced automation capabilities.
SourceHow much does Google Home Premium cost?
The exact price is not shown on this page. The site directs users to the Google Store for purchase details.
SourceBehind it
Who makes Google Home
- Company
- Google LLC
- Based in
- Mountain View, California, USA
Keep looking
Where to go from Google Home
- Google Home alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- Google Home pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- Google Home badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Smart Home softwareThe full category
- Best Smart Home softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Smart Home software for
Compare Google Home with
- Amazon Alexa
- ESPHome
- Home Assistant
- OpenHAB
- Apple HomeKit
- MQTT
- Savant
- Arlo
- August Smart Lock
- Crestron
- Homey
- Hubitat Elevation
- Losant
- Lutron Caseta
- Meross
- Nanoleaf
- Particle
- OpenHAB
Other Smart Home software
Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first
Free plan11 researched notesLocal home automation hub for advanced users
From $189.95/one-time13 researched notesCloud-based IoT platform with visualization and workflow automation
Free plan10 researched notes
Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Google Home, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on Google Home
Google Home alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
Google Home pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare Google Home
Put it head to head with anything we hold
Google Home badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
Best Smart Home software alternatives
Contractor platform and Pro Series controllers for managing client irrigation across many properties
One-time controller purchase with optional cellular subscriptionApple's secure smart home platform integrated with Siri
Premium integrated control system for smart homes and buildings
