Control4 vs openHAB

Struggling to choose between Control4 and openHAB? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Control4 is a Home & Family solution with tags like home-automation, lighting-control, av-control, climate-control, security, central-controller.

It boasts features such as Whole home automation, Voice control integration, Remote access and control, Scheduling and scenes, Multi-room audio, Video distribution, Lighting control, Climate control, Security integration, Intercom integration and pros including Comprehensive smart home platform, Sleek touchscreens, Professional installation, Works with many third-party devices, Customizable and expandable.

On the other hand, openHAB is a Home & Family product tagged with open-source, home-automation, iot, zwave, zigbee, mqtt, philips-hue, google-assistant.

Its standout features include Open source and free, Supports many home automation protocols and standards, Works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri and more, Rule-based automation engine, Web-based UI and mobile apps, Add-ons for hundreds of devices and technologies, Active community support and documentation, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Very flexible and extensible, Integrates many devices and systems, Powerful automation engine, Large device support via add-ons, Self-hosted, no reliance on cloud services, Can be hosted on low-power devices like Raspberry Pi.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Control4

Control4

Control4 is a home automation system that allows users to control lighting, audio/video, climate, security, and more from a central controller or mobile device. It integrates various connected devices and systems into one platform.

Categories:
home-automation lighting-control av-control climate-control security central-controller

Control4 Features

  1. Whole home automation
  2. Voice control integration
  3. Remote access and control
  4. Scheduling and scenes
  5. Multi-room audio
  6. Video distribution
  7. Lighting control
  8. Climate control
  9. Security integration
  10. Intercom integration

Pricing

  • Subscription-Based
  • Custom Pricing

Pros

Comprehensive smart home platform

Sleek touchscreens

Professional installation

Works with many third-party devices

Customizable and expandable

Cons

Expensive

Requires professional installation

Some limitations with third-party devices

Monthly fees for remote access

Closed ecosystem


openHAB

openHAB

openHAB is an open source home automation software that integrates different home automation systems and technologies into one uniform interface. It works with Z-Wave, ZigBee, MQTT brokers, Philips Hue, Google Assistant, and more.

Categories:
open-source home-automation iot zwave zigbee mqtt philips-hue google-assistant

OpenHAB Features

  1. Open source and free
  2. Supports many home automation protocols and standards
  3. Works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri and more
  4. Rule-based automation engine
  5. Web-based UI and mobile apps
  6. Add-ons for hundreds of devices and technologies
  7. Active community support and documentation

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Very flexible and extensible

Integrates many devices and systems

Powerful automation engine

Large device support via add-ons

Self-hosted, no reliance on cloud services

Can be hosted on low-power devices like Raspberry Pi

Cons

Steep learning curve

Requires technical expertise to set up and configure

Fragmented documentation

UI is not the most intuitive

Limited out-of-the-box functionality

Requires tinkering to integrate some devices