7 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Nest / SmartThings
The best open-source alternatives to Nest / SmartThings are Home Assistant, openHAB and Domoticz.
About Nest / SmartThings: Cloud-based smart home platforms from Google Nest and Samsung SmartThings.
Every option below is free to self-host and ranked by GitHub stars, so you can move off Nest / SmartThings without giving up the features you rely on.
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Home Assistant
home-assistant/core
Home automation platform.
FeaturedHome Automation & IoTPythonDocker - Rank 2:
openHAB
openhab/openhab-core
Vendor and technology agnostic open source software for home automation.
Home Automation & IoTJava - Rank 3:
Domoticz
domoticz/domoticz
Home Automation System that lets you monitor and configure various devices like: Lights, Switches, various sensors/meters like Temperature, Rain, Wind, UV, Electra, Gas, Water and much more.
Home Automation & IoTC++Docker
Why switch
Why teams move off Nest / SmartThings
Self-hosting is not only about saving money. These are the reasons people make the switch.
Own your data
Your data lives on a server you control, not on Nest / SmartThings's infrastructure. No surprise policy changes and no lock-in.
No per-seat pricing
Open-source alternatives to Nest / SmartThings are free to run for as many users as your server can handle. A small VPS often costs less than a single subscription.
Customize and extend
Read the code, add plugins, connect it to your own tools and automate it through open APIs. When you need a feature, you can build it or fund it.
Full ranking
All 7 Nest / SmartThings alternatives
Ranked by GitHub stars. Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Home AssistantFeatured
Home automation platform.
Home Automation & IoTDocker - 2
openHAB
Vendor and technology agnostic open source software for home automation.
Home Automation & IoT - 3
Domoticz
Home Automation System that lets you monitor and configure various devices like: Lights, Switches, various sensors/meters like Temperature, Rain, Wind, UV, Electra, Gas, Water and much more.
Home Automation & IoTDocker - 4
ioBroker
Integration platform for the Internet of Things, focused on building automation, smart metering, ambient assisted living, process automation, visualization and data logging.
Home Automation & IoT - 5
Node RED
Browser-based flow editor that helps you wiring hardware devices, APIs and online services to create IoT solutions.
Home Automation & IoTDocker - 6
Tasmota
Open source firmware for ESP devices. Total local control with quick setup and updates. Control using MQTT, Web UI, HTTP or serial. Automate using timers, rules or scripts. Integration with home…
Home Automation & IoT - 7
OpenRemote
IoT Asset management, Flow Rules and WHEN-THEN rules, Data visualization, Edge Gateway.
Home Automation & IoT
What is the best open-source alternative to Nest / SmartThings?
Home Assistant is the most popular open-source alternative to Nest / SmartThings, with 91,266 GitHub stars. openHAB and Domoticz are also strong choices. Compare features, license and recent activity to find the best fit for your team.
Is there a free alternative to Nest / SmartThings?
Yes. All 7 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can run a Nest / SmartThings replacement without per-user fees. You only pay for the server, and a small VPS is usually enough for personal use or a small team.
Can I self-host an alternative to Nest / SmartThings?
Yes. Home Assistant, Domoticz and Node RED ship a Docker image, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose in a few minutes. Your data then stays on hardware you control.
How do I migrate from Nest / SmartThings?
Start by exporting your data from Nest / SmartThings, then check the import options of the app you pick, since many projects ship importers for popular formats. Run both side by side for a week before you switch so nothing is lost.