The Best Home Automation in 2026
Google Home is the top-ranked home automation software of the 25 we ranked (9.2/10, free plan), best for google households wanting broad, simple smart-home control. Homey is the runner-up (9.1/10), and openHAB is the next highest-ranked option with a free plan (9.0/10). We researched home automation products through official vendor websites, including pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. Rankings reflect each product’s core automation job, value for money and verified capabilities such as device protocols, local control and voice support, helping buyers shortlist software for home automation.
Our top picks
-
Top ranked
Google Home#1 of 259.2/10Free smart-home control with device organization, routines, Matter and Nest viewing.
Free plan
-
Runner-up
Homey#2 of 259.1/10Flexible cloud and hub options pair smart-home control with advanced automations.
Free plan
-
Top-ranked free plan
openHAB#3 of 259.0/10Flexible, local-first device integration for people comfortable self-hosting.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 25 tools, best first
-
Best forGoogle households wanting broad, simple smart-home control
Free smart-home control with device organization, routines, Matter and Nest viewing.
- Matter support
- Camera integration
- Energy monitoring
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Google Home -
Best forUsers seeking advanced flows and flexible hub options
Flexible cloud and hub options pair smart-home control with advanced automations.
- Z-Wave support
- Matter support
- Zigbee support
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Homey -
Best forSelf-hosters seeking open, cross-platform device integration
Flexible, local-first device integration for people comfortable self-hosting.
- Z-Wave support
- Matter support
- Zigbee support
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit openHAB -
Best forTechnical users wanting extensible local automation
A locally run automation hub with adapters, visual tools and code-based control.
- Z-Wave support
- Matter support
- Zigbee support
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit ioBroker -
Best forApple households using HomeKit and Matter accessories
A free HomeKit and Matter controller for Apple households, with remote access requiring a home hub.
- Matter support
- Camera integration
- Energy monitoring
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Apple Home -
Best forUsers wanting local automation with broad radio support
A multi-radio hub for local automations, with a $184.95 one-time price.
- Z-Wave support
- Matter support
- Zigbee support
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Hubitat -
Best forSelf-hosters who want local automation and camera recording
A self-hosted hub for local automations, broad device integrations, and camera recording.
- Z-Wave support
- Matter support
- Zigbee support
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit HomeSeer -
Best forAqara device owners wanting local scenes and automations
A free companion app for Aqara devices, with scenes, schedules and hub-dependent local automations.
- Matter support
- Zigbee support
- Camera integration
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Aqara Home -
Best forSwitchBot owners automating locks, blinds and plugs
A free companion app for automating SwitchBot devices across locks, blinds and plugs.
- Matter support
- Camera integration
- Energy monitoring
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit SwitchBot -
Best forTuya-compatible device users wanting free mobile control
A free iOS and Android app for controlling compatible devices and setting up scenarios.
- Matter support
- Zigbee support
- Energy monitoring
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Tuya Smart -
Best forXiaomi device owners wanting app-based scenes and monitoring
A free mobile control and automation app focused on compatible Xiaomi devices.
- Matter support
- Zigbee support
- Camera integration
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Xiaomi Home -
Best forBosch users seeking heating-focused home automation
A heating-focused home system with local control, automations and broad device connections.
- Matter support
- Zigbee support
- Camera integration
8.1/10★★★★☆Try Bosch Smart Home -
Best forBudget users wanting local control and Matter support
A flexible smart-home app with local control and Matter support, plus a free Basic plan.
- Matter support
- Zigbee support
- Camera integration
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit eWeLink -
Best forIKEA smart-home users wanting free basic automation
A free mobile control center for IKEA devices, scenes, routines and Matter bridging.
- Matter support
- Zigbee support
- Energy monitoring
7.9/10★★★★☆Try IKEA Home smart -
Best forBuyers seeking professionally integrated whole-home control
Whole-home automation with deep device coordination, local control, and integrator-led setup.
- Z-Wave support
- Zigbee support
- Camera integration
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Control4 -
Best forHomeowners prioritizing energy automation and AV control
A dealer-configured home system that combines AV control with detailed energy automation.
- Camera integration
- Energy monitoring
- Voice assistant support
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Savant -
Best forCentralized lighting and climate automation
A local-processing automation system for lighting, climate, shading and energy management.
- Matter support
- Energy monitoring
- Local control
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Loxone -
Best forDealer-supported homes needing centralized AV and climate
A dealer-configured system for coordinating home AV, climate, lighting and security.
- Camera integration
- Voice assistant support
- Local control
7.5/10★★★★☆Contact URC -
Best forPremium homes seeking voice-led scene control
A professionally installed smart-home system for voice, app and scene control.
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit Josh.ai -
Best forAlexa users creating smart-home routines by voice
A broad voice assistant with routine creation and compatible smart-home control.
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit Amazon Alexa -
Best forSelf-hosters wanting customizable dashboards and scenarios
A self-hosted automation framework for building custom scenarios, dashboards, and device controls.
- Z-Wave support
- Zigbee support
- Camera integration
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit Jeedom -
Best forDIY users automating diverse devices on a local server
FHEM brings local device automation, event logging and protocol support to a user-managed server.
- Z-Wave support
- Energy monitoring
- Voice assistant support
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit FHEM -
Best forOpen-source users wanting PLC, KNX and MQTT support
A capable open-source hub for DIY users who need PLC, KNX and MQTT support.
- Zigbee support
- Camera integration
- Energy monitoring
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit Calaos -
Best forSelf-hosters wanting simple local automation rules
A free, open-source gateway with local controls and a visual rules interface.
- Z-Wave support
- Zigbee support
- Local control
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit WebThings -
Best forDIY users who want a simple local automation dashboard
A self-hosted dashboard for local device control, schedules and automation rules.
- Z-Wave support
- Zigbee support
- Local control
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit HomeGenie
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Local control | Matter support | Zigbee support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google Home | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 9.2 | |
| 2 | Homey | Yes | $2.99/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.1 |
| 3 | openHAB | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.0 |
| 4 | ioBroker | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.9 | |
| 5 | Apple Home | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 8.8 | |
| 6 | Hubitat Elevation | No | $184.95 one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.7 |
| 7 | HomeSeer HS4 | No | $149.95 one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.6 |
| 8 | Aqara Home | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.5 |
| 9 | SwitchBot | Yes | Free | Yes | 8.4 | ||
| 10 | Tuya Smart | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.3 |
| 11 | Xiaomi Home | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 8.2 | |
| 12 | Bosch Smart Home | Yes | €49.99/yr | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.1 |
| 13 | eWeLink | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.0 | |
| 14 | IKEA Home smart | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
| 15 | Control4 | No | Yes | Yes | 7.8 | ||
| 16 | Savant | No | 7.7 | ||||
| 17 | Loxone | No | Yes | Yes | 7.6 | ||
| 18 | URC Total Control | No | Yes | 7.5 | |||
| 19 | Josh.ai | No | 7.4 | ||||
| 20 | Amazon Alexa | Yes | 7.3 | ||||
| 21 | Jeedom | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 7.2 | |
| 22 | FHEM | Yes | Free | Yes | 7.1 | ||
| 23 | Calaos | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 7.0 | |
| 24 | WebThings Gateway | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 6.9 | |
| 25 | HomeGenie | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 6.8 |
Head-to-head All 28 comparisons →
- Google Home vs Homey
- Google Home vs openHAB
- Google Home vs ioBroker
- Google Home vs Apple Home
- Google Home vs Hubitat Elevation
- Google Home vs HomeSeer HS4
- Google Home vs Aqara Home
- Homey vs openHAB
- Homey vs ioBroker
Buyer's guide
How much do home automation software products cost? Of the 25 we ranked, 18 have a free plan and 1 publishes a paid starting price. The lowest is $2.99/mo (Homey). Prices checked September 2026.
Which home automation software products have a free plan? 18 of the 25 we ranked list one. The highest-ranked are Google Home (9.2/10), Homey (9.1/10) and openHAB (9.0/10).
Which features set home automation software products apart? Z-Wave support: 10 of 25, including Homey (9.1/10), openHAB (9.0/10) and ioBroker (8.9/10). Matter support: 15 of 25, including Google Home (9.2/10), Homey (9.1/10) and openHAB (9.0/10). Zigbee support: 16 of 25, including Homey (9.1/10), openHAB (9.0/10) and ioBroker (8.9/10).
Explore other topics All topics →
- AI Tools 309 directories · 8,420 tools ranked AI Writing Tools · AI Video Generators · Text-to-Speech Software
- Web Hosting & Domains 275 directories · 6,107 tools ranked Shared Web Hosting · Managed Cloud Hosting · Dedicated Server Hosting
- Productivity 157 directories · 4,948 tools ranked Note-Taking Apps · Calendar Apps · Project Management Software
- Marketing 139 directories · 4,058 tools ranked SEO Tools · Influencer Marketing Platforms · Email Marketing Software
- Sales & CRM 153 directories · 4,187 tools ranked Real Estate CRM Software · CRM Software · Proposal Software
- Customer Service 55 directories · 1,547 tools ranked Chatbot Builders · Knowledge Base Software · Call Center Software
How we rank home automation
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
Last updated · How we research and update