Homey

Homey is a smart-home platform for controlling devices, services, and household access in one place. It suits homes with equipment from multiple brands and people who want to build more than basic automations. Its breadth is appealing, but growing beyond five devices on cloud means a recurring fee; Homey Pro trades that for a higher one-time hardware cost.

Overview

Homey works with more than 70,000 devices across over 2,000 brands, and its App Store also connects services such as Spotify, Slack, Twitter, and Discord. That range makes it a credible hub for mixed-brand homes, although the number of supported products does not guarantee that every device in a household will work as desired.

Control is available through smartphone, tablet, desktop web app, Apple Watch, and iOS and Android widgets. Family and friends can be assigned manager, user, or guest roles, and Flows can grant temporary guest access for occasions such as a holiday stay or a cleaner’s visit. These are practical options for shared homes; solo users may have little need for the additional access controls.

Key features

Device control and automation

Homey supports Matter, Zigbee, and Z-Wave, along with cameras, energy monitoring, local control, and voice assistants. That combination suits households mixing standards and wanting more than remote switching. Flow covers straightforward automations, while Advanced Flow supports more complex routines, giving enthusiasts more room to shape how devices work together.

Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Siri Shortcuts are supported. Homey also says it does not sell user data or serve ads, and that users own their data. Its stated security measures include sandboxed apps, penetration tests, and bug bounties. Those practices are relevant assurances, though no security certification is stated.

Pricing

Homey’s free cloud tier costs nothing and covers up to five devices. It is a sensible way to start or to manage a small setup, but the device cap makes it a limited long-term choice for a growing home.

Homey Cloud Premium costs $2.99 a month, billed monthly, after the free five-device allowance. It provides cloud smart-home control, automation, and monitoring. This keeps the initial commitment low, but the ongoing charge is the trade-off for using cloud service beyond the free allowance.

Homey Pro costs $449, paid once as a one-time purchase, with no subscription stated, and is a local smart-home hub. It fits people who prefer a dedicated hub and no recurring subscription, provided the upfront price makes sense for their setup. Homey Pro mini costs $249, paid once as a one-time hardware purchase, also with no subscription stated. Homey Bridge is sold separately for $69, paid once as an extension for Homey Cloud. The page says Homey Cloud can start for free but gives no trial duration or refund policy, so neither should be assumed.

Platforms

Homey is available on Android, iOS, and the web, with support also spanning tablets, desktop browsers, Apple Watch, and mobile widgets. That gives households several ways to reach controls without tying the experience to a single screen type.

Who it's for

Homey is a strong fit for a mixed-brand home that needs broad device support, flexible routines, or different access levels for household members and guests. It is less compelling for a very small installation that can stay within five free cloud devices, or for buyers unwilling to pay either a monthly cloud fee or the larger upfront cost of a Pro hub.

Pros and cons

• Broad compatibility: support for more than 70,000 devices across over 2,000 brands gives mixed-brand households a wide starting point.
• Automation range: Flow and Advanced Flow serve both simple and more involved routines.
• Useful household access: role-based sharing and temporary guest access help when several people need different levels of control.
• Cloud scaling costs: the free tier stops at five devices, and continued cloud use beyond that allowance costs $2.99 a month.
• Pro requires a larger initial spend: the $449.00 USD one-time price avoids a stated subscription but is a substantial alternative to the cloud plan.

Alternatives

Google Home is worth considering for readers who want a free app on Android, iOS, or the web; its free plan requires compatible smart-home devices, and some products and features may not be available in all regions.

ioBroker is an open-source platform with basic functions free, and suits readers looking for a platform across Linux, macOS, Windows, web, API, and self-hosted environments. openHAB is another free option across mobile, desktop, web, and self-hosted platforms, with a free cloud service for its openHAB Cloud connector.

Apple Home is a free choice for readers already using Apple devices and compatible accessories. eWeLink offers a free Basic plan and a yearly Advanced plan at $9.90 USD, with listed CarPlay and Android Auto integration.

Hubitat Elevation is a paid alternative with a one-time North America Model C-8 Pro price of $184.95 USD; region selection is required. Bosch Smart Home has a free tier and a Home+ plan at €4.99 per month with limits of up to three systems, 400 clips per camera, 30-day cloud storage, and clips up to 60 seconds. Aqara Home is another free smart-home option.

For a broader comparison, see Home automation platforms.

Verdict

Choose Homey if a diverse device mix, advanced automation options, and household access controls matter more than keeping costs to a minimum. The five-device free cloud tier is a reasonable starting point, while Pro offers a subscription-free local hub for buyers ready to pay upfront. Look elsewhere if neither recurring cloud costs nor the Pro purchase fits your budget or setup.