Home Assistant vs openHAB

Both run on your own hardware, both are open source projects held by a non-profit, and neither charges for the core software on the pages we read. The split is in the optional extras and in how much each project tells you up front. Home Assistant sells remote access through a partner subscription at EUR 7.50 a month, while openHAB describes its remote connector service as free. openHAB lists the machines it installs on and counts its supported technologies, but names no licence on its home page, where Home Assistant's core is stated as Apache-2.0.

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Both are reviewed in full in our home automation platform ranking: Home Assistant and openHAB.

1. 01

   What a remote connection costs each month

   Home Assistant itself runs without a subscription, but remote access, offsite backups, Alexa and Google Home voice control and the speech engines behind Assist come from Nabu Casa. That plan is EUR 7.50 per month or EUR 75 per year, tax not included, with a 31-day trial on the monthly plan and no card needed. openHAB's home page describes its myopenhab.org connector as free and shows no price for the software, so remote use costs nothing there on the pages we read.

   Edge: openHAB

2. 02

   Foundation wording and the licence on file

   Home Assistant belongs to the Open Home Foundation, which the site calls a non-profit that cannot be sold or acquired, and its core repository carries the Apache-2.0 licence. openHAB is supported by the openHAB Foundation, a registered non-profit whose footer names openHAB Foundation e.V., and the page calls the software 100% open source. It never names a licence, and we could not verify one on the GitHub organisation, so that detail stays open for a buyer to check.

   Edge: Home Assistant

3. 03

   Machines it can be installed on

   openHAB's home page lists Linux, macOS, Windows, Raspberry Pi, Docker and Synology, and offers a pre-configured openHABian image for the Raspberry Pi, so a buyer sees the hardware options before downloading anything. The pages we read for Home Assistant describe a self-hosted core that runs locally, but they do not show a list of supported operating systems or devices. For someone planning around an existing NAS or desktop, openHAB answers the question directly.

   Edge: openHAB

4. 04

   Breadth of devices and voice links

   openHAB says it supports more than 400 technologies and more than 3000 things through add-ons, and names Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit as integrations, with client apps for web, iOS and Android. Home Assistant's pages name Alexa, Google Assistant and the Assist speech engines, but only as part of the paid Nabu Casa subscription, and the pages we read give no count of supported devices. That makes openHAB's reach easier to size up.

   Edge: openHAB

5. 05

   Where the data is processed

   Home Assistant states that no data is stored in the cloud and everything is processed locally, and its cloud service is an optional add-on from Nabu Casa, Inc., a company that says it has no VC or private equity funding. openHAB says no cloud service is required and treats its cloud connector as optional, usable either with myopenhab.org or with a self-hosted instance. Both keep processing at home by default, so neither one wins on this point.

   Depends on the buyer

6. 06

   Paperwork a newcomer meets first

   Home Assistant's cloud subscription is set to be renamed Home Assistant Link on 2 December 2026, so receipts and older guides may use the earlier Cloud name. Its support under that plan covers Link features only, not general Home Assistant questions. openHAB's pages we read show no support terms and no country for the foundation, and the many bindings mean more choices at setup. Each project leaves a different gap, so we call it level.

   Depends on the buyer

Can Home Assistant be used for free if I skip the Nabu Casa plan?

Yes, the vendor says Home Assistant works fully without the subscription. You then give up the Nabu Casa extras, which are remote access, offsite backups, Alexa and Google Home voice control and the Assist speech engines.

Nothing on the vendor pages we opened points to another route for those features.

Does openHAB need an internet account to run at home?

No, the site says a cloud service is not required, and it runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Raspberry Pi, Docker and Synology.

The cloud connector is optional and works with myopenhab.org, described as free, or with a self-hosted instance. Mobile apps for iOS and Android are listed alongside the web client.

Which of the two shows a country for its organisation?

Neither does. Home Assistant's pages give no country for the project, though Nabu Casa, Inc. lists a Rohnert Park, California address in the USA. openHAB's footer names openHAB Foundation e.V. without stating a country.

• Nabu Casa pricing page: EUR 7.50 monthly and EUR 75 yearly amounts, the 31-day trial, and the support limit to Link features.
• Home Assistant cloud page: the subscription being optional, the 2 December 2026 rename, and the Alexa and Google links.
• Home Assistant home page: the non-profit foundation wording and the statement that data is processed locally.
• Home Assistant core repository: the core software being under Apache-2.0.
• Nabu Casa company page: the Rohnert Park address and the stated absence of VC or private equity funding.
• openHAB home page: supported platforms, openHABian image, 400+ technologies, 3000+ things, named voice integrations, free myopenhab.org connector, foundation footer.