openHAB vs Home Assistant

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

openHAB is a Home & Family solution with tags like open-source, home-automation, iot, zwave, zigbee, mqtt, philips-hue, google-assistant.

It boasts features such as 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 pros including 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.

On the other hand, Home Assistant is a Home & Family product tagged with open-source, home-automation, smart-home, iot.

Its standout features include Open source platform for home automation, Supports over 1500 different smart devices and services, Local control - runs on your own hardware so no cloud dependency, Powerful automation engine to create rules and automations, Extensive API for integration and development, Large catalog of custom components created by community, Available on many platforms - Raspberry Pi, Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Remote access and control through mobile apps and web interface, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Very flexible and extensible, Works with more devices than any other platform, Active community support and new integrations, Self-hosted so you own your data, Can be run offline without internet access, Automations keep home efficient and convenient.

Feature	openHAB	Home Assistant
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Home & Family	Home & Family

Product Overview

openHAB

Description: 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.

Home Assistant

Description: Home Assistant is an open source home automation software that allows users to control and monitor their smart home devices and appliances. It provides a unified interface to connect many devices and services into one system.

Key Features Comparison

openHAB Features

• 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

Home Assistant Features

• Open source platform for home automation
• Supports over 1500 different smart devices and services
• Local control - runs on your own hardware so no cloud dependency
• Powerful automation engine to create rules and automations
• Extensive API for integration and development
• Large catalog of custom components created by community
• Available on many platforms - Raspberry Pi, Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker
• Remote access and control through mobile apps and web interface

Pros & Cons Analysis

openHAB

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

Home Assistant

Pros

• Free and open source
• Very flexible and extensible
• Works with more devices than any other platform
• Active community support and new integrations
• Self-hosted so you own your data
• Can be run offline without internet access
• Automations keep home efficient and convenient

Cons

• Can be complex to set up for beginners
• Requires some technical skill for advanced use cases
• Not as user friendly as some commercial platforms
• Limited official support compared to paid options
• Fragmented ecosystem with many custom integrations
• Upgrading or migrating can require technical effort

Pricing Comparison

openHAB

• Open Source

Home Assistant

• Open Source
• Free