Quick Answer: Home Assistant is free, open source home automation software that runs on hardware in your own home and controls smart devices locally. It does not need a Raspberry Pi. Its documentation recommends Home Assistant Operating System and offers a ready-made Home Assistant Green, a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5, an ODROID or an x86-64 machine. As of October 2026 the Green has a recommended price of $199.
Home Assistant is the software most Raspberry Pi smart home builds are based on. This guide explains what it does, the words you will meet (integration, app, hub), and whether a Pi is the right computer to run it on. For the wider picture of what a Pi can automate, start with our Raspberry Pi home automation guide.
What is Home Assistant?
It is open source software that connects your smart devices and lets you control and automate them from one place. Its home page, checked in October 2026, calls it "open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first" and says it keeps your data local, with no need for a cloud. It describes itself as a non-profit that cannot be sold or acquired.
You use it from a web page or the phone app. Its getting started page says you do not need to write code or edit configuration files to follow along, and that almost everything is done from the user interface. The computer that runs it is often called a hub or a server. Those are everyday words for the same box, not separate products.
What are integrations and apps?
An integration is the piece that connects Home Assistant to a brand or service. As of October 2026 the home page says it integrates with over a thousand devices and services and offers a link to browse 1500+ integrations. Z-Wave is one example, covered in our Raspberry Pi Z-Wave guide.
Apps are something else. Home Assistant's documentation says apps, formerly known as add-ons, extend it with extra applications that run alongside it, and that they are only available on the Home Assistant Operating System installation method. Older guides still say add-on. They mean the same thing.
Does Home Assistant need a Raspberry Pi?
No. The installation page, read in October 2026, lists several routes. It calls the Pi a great option if you already have one, and the ODROID a more powerful alternative. It also lists generic x86-64 machines and virtual machines.
| Route | What the documentation says | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Home Assistant Green | Comes with Home Assistant Operating System installed. No assembly or flashing required | Yes |
| Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 (OS) | Minimum 2GB RAM, power supply, microSD card of at least 32GB | Yes |
| Raspberry Pi 3, 4 or 5 (Container) | A low-cost DIY solution; you handle updates yourself | No |
| Home Assistant Yellow | No longer in production; needs your own Compute Module 4 | Not stated |
The Yellow row comes from the Yellow product page. The Container route is aimed at people comfortable with Docker and the Linux command line. Beginners should pick the Operating System route, which the documentation calls the recommended type for most people.
How does Home Assistant setup work on a Pi?
You write the image, boot the Pi and finish setup in a browser. Our full steps are in the Home Assistant install guide. In outline, per the Raspberry Pi install page:
- Open Raspberry Pi Imager and choose Other specific-purpose OS, then Home automation, then Home Assistant.
- Pick the build for your Pi 4 or Pi 5, choose your card and write it.
- Connect Ethernet, power on, and open
homeassistant.localin a browser.
The first-run screens then ask you to create an owner account and set your home location. The onboarding page says the owner credentials cannot be recovered, so store them safely, and that analytics sharing is disabled by default. The first start downloads the latest Home Assistant version, about 700 MB, so allow some time.
When is Home Assistant the wrong choice?
When you have two or three devices and their own apps already do the job. Running a hub means updates, backups and the occasional fix. Home Assistant also only controls devices. It does not wire anything, so switching mains loads stays a job for certified products and licensed electricians, as covered in our home automation guide. If you want the least work, the Green is the route the documentation names as the easiest way to get started.
Frequently asked questions
What is Home Assistant used for?
It links lights, plugs, sensors, thermostats and other smart devices so you can control them from one dashboard and make them react to each other, for example turning a lamp on at dusk.
Is Home Assistant free?
The software is open source, and its getting started page says there are no hidden subscriptions. You pay for the hardware you run it on and for the devices you connect.
What is a Home Assistant hub?
It is the computer that runs Home Assistant, such as a Home Assistant Green or a Raspberry Pi. The documentation uses the word hub for its own boxes.
Do I need a Home Assistant server?
You need something running the software all the time, because automations only work while it is on. That can be a Green, a Pi or another computer, and people call it a server.
What is the Home Assistant app?
The phrase covers two things. There is the phone app used to open your dashboard and add devices, and there are apps, the new name for add-ons that run alongside Home Assistant on the Operating System install.
How do I do Home Assistant setup for the first time?
Install the software, open it in a browser, create the owner account, set your home location, then add integrations for your devices. Home Assistant's pages guide each step.
Does Home Assistant work without the internet?
Its home page says it communicates with devices locally and falls back to the cloud only when there is no other option. Devices that depend on their maker's cloud still need a connection.