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.

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

Product Overview

SmartThings

Description: 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.

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.

Key Features Comparison

SmartThings Features

• 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

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

Pros & Cons Analysis

SmartThings

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

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

Pricing Comparison

SmartThings

• Free limited app
• Subscription-Based for full functionality

openHAB

• Open Source