openHAB vs Hubitat Elevation

openHAB9.0Visit Hubitat Elevation8.7Visit

Higher score openHAB #3 in Home Automation 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 7 of 7 features Visit openHAB

vs

Hubitat Elevation #6 in Home Automation 8.7/10 Paid ✓ 7 of 7 features Visit Hubitat

• openHAB fits best

  Self-hosters seeking open, cross-platform device integration

• Hubitat Elevation fits best

  Users wanting local automation with broad radio support

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Side by side

Feature	openHAB 9.0/10 Visit ↗	Hubitat Elevation 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.7
Ranking	#3 in Home Automation	#6 in Home Automation
Best for	Self-hosters seeking open, cross-platform device integration	Users wanting local automation with broad radio support
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	$184.95 one-time
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Self-hosted, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Integrations	400+ integrations	4 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market	Solo, Small business
Features openHAB 7/7 · Hubitat Elevation 7/7
Local control	✓	✓
Matter support	✓	✓
Zigbee support	✓	✓
Z-Wave support	✓	✓
Voice assistant support	✓	✓
Camera integration	✓	✓
Energy monitoring	✓	✓
Our review
Pros	Runs on user hardware without requiring a cloud service Bindings connect Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave, cameras and energy monitors Rules support time- and event-based triggers, scripts and notifications	Runs automations locally and supports Zigbee, Z-Wave and Matter Built-in apps cover rules, lighting and thermostat schedules Tracks energy use or cost and supports Ring-triggered automations
Cons	Requires user hardware and self-hosting Device compatibility and setup depend on bindings and hardware Google Assistant and Alexa voice integrations use myopenHAB cloud	Costs $184.95 upfront, with no free plan Custom apps and device drivers require Groovy Some integrations, including Ring, rely on cloud services
Our verdict	openHAB is open-source home automation software for connecting supported devices, services and smart-home platforms. It suits people who want to run automation on their own hardware and are willing to select bindings and manage… Read the review →	Hubitat Elevation is a physical home-automation hub for people who want compatible devices to run automations locally. Its C-8 Pro North America version connects over Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, Wi-Fi and Ethernet, with web and mobile… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• openHAB — where it wins

  • Runs on user hardware without requiring a cloud service
  • Bindings connect Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave, cameras and energy monitors
  • Rules support time- and event-based triggers, scripts and notifications

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires user hardware and self-hosting
  • Device compatibility and setup depend on bindings and hardware
  • Google Assistant and Alexa voice integrations use myopenHAB cloud

• Hubitat Elevation — where it wins

  • Runs automations locally and supports Zigbee, Z-Wave and Matter
  • Built-in apps cover rules, lighting and thermostat schedules
  • Tracks energy use or cost and supports Ring-triggered automations

  Where it doesn't

  • Costs $184.95 upfront, with no free plan
  • Custom apps and device drivers require Groovy
  • Some integrations, including Ring, rely on cloud services

• openHAB9.0/10 · Free plan

  Flexible, local-first device integration for people comfortable self-hosting.

  Visit openHABFull verdict →
• Hubitat Elevation8.7/10 · Paid

  A multi-radio hub for local automations, with a $184.95 one-time price.

  Visit HubitatFull verdict →