Quick Answer: Buy a Home Assistant Green if you are starting from nothing and want the least work: it arrives with Home Assistant Operating System installed. Use a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 if you already own one or want a general-purpose computer. As of October 2026 the Green has a recommended price of $199, and neither includes Zigbee or Z-Wave radios, which are a separate purchase.
Both run the same Home Assistant software, so the choice is about effort, cost and flexibility, not features. If you are not sure what the software is, read what Home Assistant is first. If you decide on a Pi, our install guide walks through it.
Which should you buy: Home Assistant Green or a Raspberry Pi?
Buy the Green if you want a finished hub, and a Pi if you want to build one. Home Assistant's installation page calls the Green the easiest way to get started and says no assembly or flashing is required. The same page calls the Pi a great option if you already have one.
The Green page also says it suits people not familiar with tinkering with Raspberry Pi. That is the honest dividing line. A Pi gives you freedom and a few more steps. The Green gives you less to get wrong.
What do you get with a Home Assistant Green?
You get a sealed hub with Home Assistant Operating System on it. The Home Assistant Green page, checked in October 2026, lists the following.
- A Rockchip RK3566 chip with a quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 CPU at 1.8 GHz, 4 GB of LPDDR4X memory and 32 GB of eMMC storage.
- Gigabit Ethernet and two USB 2.0 ports. The HDMI port is for diagnostic purposes only.
- A 12 V power supply and an Ethernet cable in the box.
- Power use listed as about 1.7 W idle and 3 W under load at 12 V.
- A recommended MSRP of $199 or 179 euros. The USD price excludes taxes, and the page carries no date.
Zigbee and Z-Wave radios are not built in. The page says Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 lets Zigbee or Thread devices connect to the Green, and that other standards need a third-party USB accessory.
What does a Raspberry Pi setup need?
You supply every part. Per the Raspberry Pi install page, you need a Raspberry Pi 5 or 4 with at least 2 GB of RAM, a microSD card of at least 32 GB (A2 class recommended), a proper power supply and a network cable. It warns that mobile chargers may not suit and that a computer's USB port will not supply enough power. Our power requirements guide explains why.
The Raspberry Pi products page, checked in October 2026, lists the Raspberry Pi 5 from $45. That is the starting price for the entry model, and Home Assistant needs a 2 GB or larger one, so use the current price of the model you pick. The Pi 5 is built for a 5V/5A USB-C supply, per its product page, and our Raspberry Pi 5 overview covers the board in more detail.
How do they compare side by side?
| Home Assistant Green | Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Home Assistant OS preinstalled; no flashing | Write the image with Raspberry Pi Imager |
| Price (October 2026) | Recommended MSRP $199, excluding taxes | Pi 5 from $45, plus supply, card and case |
| Storage | 32 GB eMMC | microSD of at least 32 GB; NVMe possible on a Pi 5 with an M.2 HAT+ |
| Zigbee or Z-Wave | Not built in; add a USB adapter | Not built in; add a USB adapter |
| Other uses | Home Assistant hub | Any Pi job, such as a server or media player |
Totals depend on which parts you already own, so add them up at current prices before you decide.
What about the Home Assistant Yellow?
Do not plan around it. The Yellow page says it is no longer in production but continues to receive software updates, and the kit versions need you to supply a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4. If you want a built-in Zigbee, Thread and Matter radio, check what is on sale now before you choose.
When is the Pi the wrong choice, and when is the Green?
The Pi is the wrong choice if you do not want to troubleshoot power, cards and images. The Green is the wrong choice if you already have a spare Pi, or want one box for other jobs as well as Home Assistant. Do not buy either to switch mains loads. Plug-in certified smart plugs and a licensed electrician are the route there.
Frequently asked questions
Is Home Assistant Green just a Raspberry Pi?
No. Its page lists a Rockchip RK3566 chip, not a Raspberry Pi processor. It runs the same Home Assistant software, so setup and use are alike.
Is Home Assistant Green worth buying over a Raspberry Pi?
It is if you value a ready-made hub with no flashing. If you already own a Pi 4 or Pi 5 with at least 2 GB of RAM, you can start with what you have.
What hardware does Home Assistant recommend?
Home Assistant's documentation does not name one. It recommends the Operating System install type and lists the Green, a Raspberry Pi, an ODROID and x86-64 machines as ways to run it.
Does Home Assistant Green include Zigbee or Z-Wave?
No. You add a USB adapter, such as Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 for Zigbee or Thread. A Pi needs the same.
What happened to Home Assistant Yellow?
The product page says it is no longer in production but still receives software updates. Kits needed a Compute Module 4 that you supplied.
Will Home Assistant stop supporting the Raspberry Pi?
The Green page answers this directly: it says Home Assistant is committed to keep supporting all platforms that are currently available.
Can I use a Raspberry Pi 3 for Home Assistant?
Only through the Container install, which has no apps. The Operating System install lists a Pi 4 or 5.