Smart devices from different brands usually each live in their own app and do not talk to each other. Home Assistant changes that and ties them into one place. Let us explain in full what Home Assistant is, what it can do and who it suits.

What Home Assistant is

Home Assistant is open and free software for controlling a smart home. Its main idea is to tie all your smart devices of different brands and protocols into one clear place. It runs locally at your home, most often on a small computer like a Raspberry Pi, a mini PC or a NAS, or on a ready-made device (Home Assistant Green or Yellow).

Why local: the main advantage

The fact that Home Assistant runs at your home and not in the manufacturer’s cloud has fundamental advantages:

  • Data stays home, it does not leave to foreign servers.
  • It works even without the internet, so a line outage will not switch off your lights or heating.
  • No monthly fees for the cloud.
  • Full privacy and control over what happens.

What it can do

Home Assistant unifies the control of lights, heating, air conditioning, cameras, sensors, locks, sockets, blinds and other devices, regardless of brand. The main strength is in automations: you set rules by which the home controls itself. For example, when it gets dark the lights turn on, when no one is home the heating goes down, or when a door opens you get a notification. You see it all on one dashboard and control it via phone, computer and voice.

Supported devices and protocols

Home Assistant has thousands of integrations and understands all the common protocols: wifi, Zigbee, Z-Wave and the new Matter. Zigbee and Z-Wave connect via a small USB stick. Thanks to this it ties together even devices that would otherwise not communicate at all.

Examples of automations

  • In the morning the lights come on gradually like an alarm.
  • The heating is managed by whether someone is home.
  • On motion in front of the house, a camera sends a snapshot to the phone.
  • During a holiday, presence is simulated by turning lights on.
  • On a water leak or smoke, you get a notification immediately.

What it runs on and who it is for

Home Assistant can manage on a Raspberry Pi, a mini PC or a NAS. It suits anyone who wants a smart home under control and with privacy, without depending on the manufacturer’s cloud. It requires a bit of setting up, but the result is worth it. If you do not want to dive into it yourself, we are glad to design and deploy it for you.

Security

Since Home Assistant runs locally, it is inherently safer than cloud solutions. Even so, protect its access with a strong password and two-factor authentication, and do not expose it directly to the internet; for remote access use a VPN instead.

Want a smart home that is yours and works even without the internet? Get in touch, we will design and deploy Home Assistant to measure. We also write about how to start with a smart home in a separate article.