{
    "products": [
        {
            "slug": "home-assistant",
            "name": "Home Assistant",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://www.home-assistant.io/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/home-assistant",
            "tagline": "Open-source home automation that runs on your own hardware",
            "summary": "Home Assistant is an open-source home automation platform that runs on hardware you own, with local control of devices and automations. It works with more than 1,000 brands and is developed by the Open Home Foundation, a non-profit.",
            "developer": "Open Home Foundation",
            "platforms": [
                "self-hosted",
                "linux",
                "macos",
                "windows",
                "web",
                "ios",
                "android"
            ],
            "pricing": "open-source",
            "price_note": "Free; optional Home Assistant Cloud subscription for remote access",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": true,
            "license": "Apache-2.0",
            "source": "https://github.com/home-assistant/core",
            "strengths": [
                "Local control that keeps working without internet",
                "Over 1,000 brands supported through integrations",
                "Free open-source core with a large community"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Setup and upkeep take more effort than a phone app",
                "Remote access needs the paid Cloud service or extra setup"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Home Assistant runs as a server on Home Assistant Green, a Raspberry Pi, an x86 computer or a virtual machine, and it keeps working when the internet is down. Devices are discovered on the local network, and automations can be built in the visual editor or in YAML files. Voice control runs through Assist, a local voice assistant, and Alexa and Google Assistant can also control it.\n\nThe core is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license, and its code is on GitHub. The trade-off is setup effort: a new user has to choose hardware, learn the configuration model and keep the system updated. Home Assistant Cloud is an optional paid subscription, run by the partner company Nabu Casa, that adds secure remote access from outside the home."
        },
        {
            "slug": "openhab",
            "name": "openHAB",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://www.openhab.org/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/openhab",
            "tagline": "Vendor-neutral open-source automation software for your home",
            "summary": "openHAB is open-source home automation software that runs on your own server and connects devices from many vendors through add-ons. It is written in Java and supported by the openHAB Foundation, a registered non-profit.",
            "developer": "openHAB Foundation",
            "platforms": [
                "self-hosted",
                "linux",
                "macos",
                "windows",
                "web",
                "ios",
                "android"
            ],
            "pricing": "open-source",
            "price_note": "Free; the myopenHAB cloud connector is a free service",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": true,
            "license": "EPL-2.0",
            "source": "https://github.com/openhab/openhab-core",
            "strengths": [
                "Runs on your own hardware with no cloud required",
                "More than 3,000 supported things through add-ons",
                "Vendor-neutral and run by a non-profit foundation"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Setup and rules take more effort than consumer hub apps"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "openHAB runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Raspberry Pi, Docker and Synology NAS devices, and it is reached through a web interface or apps for iOS and Android. The project lists more than 3,000 supported things through its add-ons, and it runs without a cloud service while still offering cloud integrations for Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit.\n\nRules can use time and event triggers, scripts and notifications, and the project publishes a ready-to-flash openHABian image for the Raspberry Pi. Compared with consumer apps, the learning curve is steep, which suits people who like to tinker. The core is released under the Eclipse Public License 2.0."
        }
    ],
    "differences": [],
    "shared_rankings": [
        {
            "list": "home-automation-platforms",
            "name": "Home automation platforms",
            "page": "https://listme.name/best/home-automation-platforms",
            "of": 11,
            "results": [
                {
                    "product": "home-assistant",
                    "rank": 1,
                    "score": 95,
                    "verdict": "Free and open source, with local automations, Matter support and more than 1,000 brands through integrations. Setup takes more effort than Apple Home or Alexa, and remote access needs the optional paid Cloud service or your own setup.",
                    "best_for": "Local, open-source automation for tinkerers",
                    "spec": {
                        "runs_on": "Your own hardware, works offline",
                        "hub": "Home Assistant Green, or your own Pi or PC",
                        "matter": "Yes, documented Matter integration"
                    }
                },
                {
                    "product": "openhab",
                    "rank": 4,
                    "score": 89,
                    "verdict": "Vendor-neutral and fully open source, running on Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker or a Pi with no cloud required. Its rules and setup take longer to learn than consumer apps, and its site does not state Matter support.",
                    "best_for": "Vendor-neutral open-source server for tinkerers",
                    "spec": {
                        "runs_on": "Your own server, Pi or Docker",
                        "hub": "None, any supported computer or Pi",
                        "matter": "Not stated on vendor site"
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "ranks_higher_in_closest_shared_list": "home-assistant",
    "page": "https://listme.name/compare/home-assistant-vs-openhab",
    "json": "https://listme.name/api/v1/compare/home-assistant-vs-openhab.json",
    "notes": [
        "Scores are editorial and only comparable inside one list. Products with connected_to_publisher true receive a disclosed ranking lift: https://listme.name/methodology"
    ],
    "source": "https://listme.name",
    "license": "Free to read and cite with attribution to listme.name.",
    "docs": "https://listme.name/developers"
}