Home Assistant
Open source home automation platform with local control, automations, dashboards and the Assist voice assistant.
Home Assistant is an open source home automation platform that runs on your own hardware and connects smart devices from more than a thousand brands. Home Assistant is used to build automations, dashboards and energy reports, and to control the home by voice through its Assist assistant, while keeping data processing local instead of in the cloud.
Best for People who want to run a smart home from their own hardware, across many device brands, without depending on a vendor's cloud.
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Made by
- Open Home Foundation
- Added
Last verified: . Information taken from home-assistant.io.
What is Home Assistant?
Home Assistant is an open source home automation platform that runs on hardware you own, such as a Raspberry Pi or a local server. The Open Home Foundation, a non-profit organisation, runs the project. After installation it scans the network for known devices and offers integrations for more than a thousand brands and services. Devices can then be tied together with an automation engine, for example switching lights on at sunset, and shown on dashboards built by drag-and-drop. Assist, the built-in voice assistant, accepts natural-language commands, supports wake words and can be customised to experiment with AI conversations. Data is processed and stored locally, with cloud access used only as a fallback when a device offers nothing else. Companion apps exist for iOS and Android, and the project sells its own hardware, including the Home Assistant Green hub, Zigbee, Thread and Z-Wave adapters, and a voice device.
Key Features
Device Integrations
Detects known devices on the home network and connects products and services from over a thousand brands.
Automation Engine
Runs rules across connected devices, such as turning on a light when you arrive or alerting you to an open garage door.
Custom Dashboards
Shows the state of the home on pages assembled by drag-and-drop from different card types, usable on phone or desktop.
Assist Voice Assistant
Controls the home through spoken or typed natural language on phones, tablets, smartwatches and dedicated voice hardware.
Energy Management
Tracks electricity use and solar production so that consumption can be planned.
Add-on Apps
Installs extra software next to the core system, for example a DNS ad blocker or the Node-RED automation tool.
Screenshots
Use Cases
- Combining Devices From Different Brands
- Operate lights, sensors and appliances from many manufacturers in one interface.
- Presence-Based Automation
- Use the phone app's location to trigger actions when someone leaves or comes home.
- Private Voice Control
- Give spoken commands through Assist instead of a cloud voice service.
- Monitoring Energy Use
- Follow household consumption and solar output over time.
- Wall or TV Displays
- Send a dashboard to a television with Home Assistant Cast.
Things to know
- Runs on your own hardware
- The platform is meant to be installed on a device such as a Raspberry Pi, a local server or the project's own hub.
- Non-profit ownership
- The site states that the project belongs to a non-profit foundation and cannot be sold or acquired.
- Cloud is a fallback only
- Cloud data is fetched only for devices that offer no local connection; nothing is stored in the cloud by the platform.
FAQs
What is Home Assistant?
Home Assistant is an open source home automation platform that connects smart devices from many brands and controls them locally.
Who makes Home Assistant?
Home Assistant is run by the non-profit Open Home Foundation. The foundation is funded by commercial partners including Nabu Casa and Apollo Automation.
Does Home Assistant need the cloud?
No. Home Assistant talks to devices locally and processes data at home; it only pulls data from a cloud service when a device has no other option.
Does Home Assistant have a voice assistant?
Yes. Home Assistant includes Assist, a voice assistant that understands natural language, supports wake words and can be customised with AI conversation agents.
Does Home Assistant work on mobile?
Yes. Home Assistant has official companion apps for iOS and Android, with support for Apple Watch and Wear OS.
Does Home Assistant work with Alexa and Google Assistant?
Yes. Home Assistant can be controlled through both Alexa and Google Assistant.
What hardware does Home Assistant sell?
The Home Assistant site lists the Home Assistant Green hub, the Connect ZBT-2 adapter for Zigbee and Thread, the Connect ZWA-2 adapter for Z-Wave and the Voice Preview Edition.
Who it's for
- Smart home owners
- DIY enthusiasts
- Tinkerers
- Privacy-conscious households
- Developers
Read about it
Comments
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