SmartThings vs openHAB

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

SmartThings is a Home & Family solution with tags like iot, home-automation, smart-home.

It boasts features such as Remote monitoring and control of connected devices through mobile app or web dashboard, Works with a variety of third-party smart home devices like lights, locks, thermostats, sensors, etc., Rules engine to automate actions and triggers based on events, Notifications for events like sensor triggers, Integration with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT, Hub required for most installations to connect devices to the cloud and pros including Wide compatibility with many smart home devices and brands, Flexible automation options, Easy to use mobile app, Remote access when away from home, Third-party integrations.

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.

SmartThings

SmartThings

SmartThings is a home automation platform that allows users to connect and control smart home devices like lights, locks, thermostats, sensors and more. It works with a variety of third-party devices and can be controlled through a mobile app or website.

Categories:
iot home-automation smart-home

SmartThings Features

  1. Remote monitoring and control of connected devices through mobile app or web dashboard
  2. Works with a variety of third-party smart home devices like lights, locks, thermostats, sensors, etc.
  3. Rules engine to automate actions and triggers based on events
  4. Notifications for events like sensor triggers
  5. Integration with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT
  6. Hub required for most installations to connect devices to the cloud

Pricing

  • Free limited app
  • Subscription-Based for full functionality

Pros

Wide compatibility with many smart home devices and brands

Flexible automation options

Easy to use mobile app

Remote access when away from home

Third-party integrations

Cons

Requires hub purchase for most setups

Monthly fees for monitoring services

Some reliability and connectivity issues reported

App can be slow at times

No Apple HomeKit support


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