Home Assistant vs SmartThings

The main difference: who runs it

SmartThings is a Samsung product. You use its app, its hubs and its cloud, and Samsung updates the platform. Home Assistant is open-source software you install on your own computer. Its homepage describes it as putting local control and privacy first.

That choice shapes everything else. With Home Assistant, you gain control, flexibility and independence, and you take on updates, backups and fixes. With SmartThings, you gain a managed system, and you accept the limits and changes Samsung makes. Neither is better for everyone, so match it to your own habits.

Local or cloud when it counts

SmartThings groups devices by connection. Hub-connected devices use Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave or the local network, and Edge drivers let them run locally on the hub. Cloud-connected devices rely on a cloud-to-cloud link, so they stop when the internet or the brand’s service is down. Home Assistant is local first, though many of its integrations for cloud-based brands also need the internet.

If power and internet outages are on your mind, the stronger setup in either system is the same: local protocols such as Zigbee, Z-Wave or Thread, a hub or server on a UPS and a router on a UPS too. See Do you need a SmartThings hub? for what requires a hub on the Samsung side.

Cost: more than the sticker price

Home Assistant’s software is free, but it needs a computer, usually $100–$350 new, plus a Zigbee or Z-Wave radio at $20–$50 if you want those protocols. SmartThings needs a hub only for devices that need one, and some Samsung TVs already include it.

One change affects people who combine them. Home Assistant’s documentation says Samsung has announced that free access to the SmartThings API will be phased out starting in October 2026, and that after that, API access will require a paid Personal Plan ($4.99 a month). The page tells users that they will need to either subscribe or migrate devices, for example local Zigbee and Z-Wave devices, before then to avoid a service disruption. Check Samsung’s current terms before you rely on this connection.

Using both

You do not have to choose. Because both support Matter, you can add a Matter device to each controller. Home Assistant’s Matter integration needs a Thread border router for Thread devices and runs its Matter server on Home Assistant OS; see Matter vs Zigbee for how the protocols differ. Another route is to move Zigbee or Z-Wave sensors to a Home Assistant radio and keep SmartThings for Samsung appliances and TVs.

If you migrate, plan for re-pairing: Zigbee and Z-Wave devices generally have to be reset and paired to the new controller. Make a list of devices, their locations and automations first. A good first step is to move a single device, such as a door sensor, and compare the result before moving the rest. For a first look at Home Assistant itself, read Is Home Assistant worth it?.