Google Home icon

Google Home

Google Home is a smart speaker developed by Google. It uses Google Assistant to respond to voice commands and play music, control smart home devices, provide information, set alarms and timers, and more.

What is Google Home?

Google Home is a line of smart speakers developed by Google. It was first released in November 2016 in the United States.

Google Home devices are voice-activated speakers powered by Google Assistant. They can play music, podcasts and audiobooks; provide weather, news, sports updates and other real-time information; control compatible smart home devices; set alarms and timers; make calls; and more using natural voice commands.

The compact design of Google Home makes it well-suited for placement on counters or bookshelves inside the home. Multiple Google Home devices can be linked together throughout a home to allow whole-home audio streaming.

Google Home uses advanced microphone technology and layered voice recognition to detect and understand commands from across the room, even with background noise. The speaker includes a touch-sensitive top panel for manual control as well.

Google Home connects to WiFi and requires a Google Account to access Google services like YouTube, Google Play music, calendars, etc. Optional subscriptions may be required for streaming services.

Over time, updates have added functionality for news briefings, hands-free calling, home control, messaging apps, multi-room audio, and more. Google Home devices aim to be helpful, hands-free assistants inside the connected home.

The Best Google Home Alternatives

Top Apps like Google Home

Android TV, Homebridge, SmartThings, Mi Home, openHAB, MediaPortal, Control4, Domoticz, NOW TV, Sofaplay, iMediaShare, domogik, PseudoTV, Control-Freak, AWS IoT, Loxone Smart Home, Yeti Smart Home, ioBroker, emteria.OS, Nest Mobile, ImperiHome, Mozilla WebThings Gateway, Tvmobili, Jeedom, Scrypted, Oblecto, iON the home, Flipps, Gideon Smart Home, DomotiGa, EVA ICS, iRidium Pro, Flinger.co, MisterHouse, Screeninvader, AirPatrol WiFi, Netbeast are some alternatives to Google Home.

Android TV

Android TV is a smart TV platform developed by Google based on the Android operating system. It was first announced in June 2014 and allows users to access apps, games, movies, TV shows, and other digital content on a big screen TV.Some key features of Android TV include:Access to...

Homebridge

Homebridge is an open source Node.js application that allows users to integrate non-HomeKit smart home devices with Apple's HomeKit system. It works by emulating the functionality of an Apple HomeKit accessory, acting as a bridge between unsupported devices and HomeKit.This enables users to connect and control non-HomeKit devices...

SmartThings

SmartThings is a leading home automation platform developed by Samsung that allows users to monitor, control, and automate a wide variety of smart home devices from a single user-friendly app. It works as a central hub that connects to third-party smart home devices like lights, locks, thermostats, sensors, switches, outlets...

Mi Home

Mi Home is a comprehensive smart home control app developed by Xiaomi to monitor and manage all Xiaomi branded smart devices. It provides a centralized and intuitive interface to connect and control smart lights, plugs, sensors, appliances, cameras and more over WiFi.Some key features of Mi Home include:Easy...

OpenHAB

openHAB is an open source home automation software designed to integrate all kinds of smart home devices and technologies into a unified interface. It works as a central automation hub to connect to and control a wide range of products and systems, including:Lighting systems like Philips Hue and IKEA...

MediaPortal

MediaPortal is an open-source media center software for Windows PCs. It allows you to manage and play various media content including videos, music, photos and live TV on Windows PCs connected to big screens in a home theater setup.Features:Free and open source softwareSupports wide range of video, audio...

Control4

Control4 is a home automation platform designed to control and integrate the technology in homes and businesses. It allows users to manage and automate lighting, climate control, entertainment systems, security systems, and more from a central hub, controller, or mobile device.Some key features of Control4 include:Smart home control...

Domoticz

Domoticz is a lightweight, flexible, and extensible home automation platform designed primarily for controlling various devices and systems within a home network. It provides a user-friendly web interface for monitoring and configuration, allowing centralized control over lights, switches, sensors, cameras, climate controls, security systems, and more using a computer or...

NOW TV

NOW TV is a subscription streaming television service owned and operated by Sky in the UK. It offers a variety of TV passes that give access to live sports, on-demand entertainment, blockbuster movies, and kids TV without the need for a traditional pay TV subscription.With NOW TV, viewers can...

Sofaplay

Sofaplay is an open source media server platform that allows you to organize, manage, and stream your personal media library to various devices. It supports automatic media indexing and rich metadata fetching to easily browse your libraries by movie, TV show, actor, genre, etc. Some key features include:Streaming video...

IMediaShare

iMediaShare is a digital media server software designed to help you easily manage and stream your video, audio, and photo libraries to various devices around your home. It allows you to set up your own personal media server to enjoy your content on your terms.Some key features of iMediaShare...

Domogik

Domogik is an extensible home automation platform written in Python that allows users to control, monitor, and automate devices in the home. It can integrate with Z-Wave, EnOcean, MAVLink, MQTT, HTTP interfaces and more to provide a unified interface for controlling home devices such as lights, switches, sensors, cameras, irrigation...

PseudoTV

PseudoTV is a free, open source add-on that works with the Kodi media center software. It allows users to set up customized "TV channels" that play content from their local media libraries, giving a channel surfing experience similar to cable TV.Some key features of PseudoTV include:Users can create...

Control-Freak

Control-Freak is a comprehensive workflow automation and production asset management software designed specifically for the needs of creative teams. It provides a flexible framework to streamline and optimize complex workflow processes, ensuring projects stay on track and on budget.With Control-Freak, teams can easily build customizable workflows to automate repetitive...

AWS IoT

AWS IoT is a managed cloud platform from Amazon Web Services that enables connected devices to securely interact with cloud applications and other devices. Some key capabilities of AWS IoT include:Device connectivity and messaging - AWS IoT supports HTTP, MQTT, and WebSocket protocols for connected devices to publish telemetry...

Loxone Smart Home

Loxone Smart Home is a comprehensive home automation solution designed for new builds as well as retrofits. At the core of the system is the Loxone Miniserver, an intelligent control box that manages connected devices, processes inputs and triggers, and handles automation rules and scheduling.Miniservers communicate with various wireless...

Yeti Smart Home

Yeti Smart Home is an open-source home automation platform focused on local control and privacy. It enables users to integrate and control smart devices in their home, ranging from lighting, climate control, entertainment systems and more. Some key features of Yeti Smart Home include:Support for over 1000 devices and services...

IoBroker

ioBroker is an open source home automation platform designed to integrate various smart home systems and technologies into one centralized system for control and automation. Here is an overview of key details about ioBroker:It can connect to and control devices using standards and protocols like Z-Wave, Philips Hue, MQTT...

Emteria.OS

emteria.OS is an open-source Linux-based operating system launched in 2021. It focuses on providing an intuitive and user-friendly computing experience right out of the box.Some key features and goals of emteria.OS include:Ease of use - It uses a custom desktop environment and apps tailored for usability and...

Nest Mobile

Nest Mobile is a free mobile app created by Nest Labs that allows you to remotely control Nest devices such as the Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Protect smoke detector, Nest Cam security cameras, and more from iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. Key features of Nest Mobile include:Remote temperature...

ImperiHome

ImperiHome is a free, open source home inventory software program for Windows. It provides an easy way for users to keep track of personal belongings and assets in their home. ImperiHome allows you to catalog items by location, assign serial numbers, scan receipts, set reminders for warranty expiration dates, and...

Mozilla WebThings Gateway

Mozilla WebThings Gateway is an open source software platform for controlling Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the home. It provides a centralized dashboard to monitor and control connected devices like lights, switches, sensors, cameras, appliances and more.Some key features of Mozilla WebThings Gateway include:Open source platform based...

Tvmobili

Tvmobili is a free, ad-supported live TV streaming platform that offers over 100 live channels spanning a variety of genres like news, sports, movies, cartoons, music, and more. It works on a wide range of devices including smart TVs, media streaming devices like Roku and Fire TV, computers, iOS and Android...

Jeedom

Jeedom is a feature-rich open source home automation platform designed to control and monitor a variety of smart home devices and services. It provides a flexible solution to automate and integrate lights, switches, sensors, cameras, climate controls, security systems, and more into a single interface accessible via web browser or...

Scrypted

Scrypted is an open-source home automation server and API designed to integrate and control smart home devices and services. It enables local control of internet-connected devices without relying on vendor cloud services.With Scrypted, you can centrally manage and automate devices like security cameras, lights, sensors, locks, media centers and...

Oblecto

Oblecto is an open-source team productivity software built for collaboration. It brings together features like file sharing, task management, calendars, notes, discussions, and custom workflows into one integrated workplace.Some key features of Oblecto include:File Management - Store, share and collaborate on documents with team membersTasks & Projects - Break...

ION the home

iON the home is a DIY home security camera system offered by iON America, a company that makes affordable consumer electronics products. It provides a range of indoor and outdoor wireless security cameras that can be set up easily without professional installation.Key features of iON the home cameras include...

Flipps

Flipps is a cross-platform streaming application and service that consolidates many popular streaming services into one easy-to-use interface. It enables users to access, discover and stream content from services like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon, and more from a single app on phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs and streaming devices.Some...

Gideon Smart Home

Gideon Smart Home is a comprehensive home automation platform designed to control, monitor, and integrate a wide variety of devices and appliances within a home. Its key capabilities include:Centralized control through mobile apps, web dashboards, and voice control using Amazon Alexa or Google AssistantWorks with thousands of popular smart...

DomotiGa

DomotiGa is an open-source home automation platform built on Linux that allows you to monitor and control various devices and appliances in your home. Some key features include:User-friendly web interface to set up automation rules, schedules, dashboards etc.Supports popular home automation protocols like Z-Wave, ZigBee for connecting devicesPlugins...

EVA ICS

EVA ICS (Incident Communication System) is an open-source, web-based platform for managing incidents, problems, changes, and known errors. It is designed specifically for enterprises and IT teams that need to track issues, assign tasks, facilitate communications, and document resolution processes.Some key features of EVA ICS include:Customizable workflows to...

IRidium Pro

iRidium Pro is a powerful and versatile smart home control app for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. It allows you to control and monitor a wide range of home automation systems, security cameras, sensors, lighting, HVAC, garage doors, shades, and more - all from an easy-to-use interface right on...

Flinger.co

Flinger.co is a website aimed at helping people find alternative software options to popular applications and services. The site has a database of many well-known apps and services across categories like productivity, creative tools, communication platforms, cloud storage, and more.When you search for a particular application on Flinger...

MisterHouse

MisterHouse is an open-source home automation software package that enables control and automation of various devices and appliances in your home. It provides a flexible platform to integrate and manage solutions from different home automation vendors and technologies.Some key features and capabilities of MisterHouse include:Supports popular home automation...

Screeninvader

Screeninvader is a feature-rich yet easy to use screen recording and screenshot capture software for Windows. With Screeninvader, users can easily record all or part of their screen, take screenshots, annotate recordings, trim clips, add effects and transitions, and export the results in common formats to share online or with...

AirPatrol WiFi

AirPatrol WiFi is a robust wireless network management system designed to help IT administrators monitor, analyze, and troubleshoot WiFi networks effectively. It works by collecting extensive data about the RF environment and network activity to provide complete visibility into wireless network performance and issues.Key capabilities and benefits of AirPatrol...

Netbeast

Netbeast is an open-source network monitoring and management tool for system administrators. It provides a user-friendly graphical interface to help monitor, analyze and configure local area networks.Some key features of Netbeast include:Automatic discovery of devices on the network such as servers, workstations, switches, routers, etc.Monitoring of vital...