Compare home automation software

Download AGO Control or check out the gallery. It's hard not to like Domoticz because it gives you everything you need without asking for much in return. On their website, you can find step-by-step guidance for installing and implementing the software.

Even better, the community is very active! At the time of writing this article, there are plenty of posts on how to use plugins and devices.

This is exactly what an open source platform like Domoticz needs, and it's the ideal support for students who are looking to learn. Download Domoticz now , get the manual PDF or visit the forum.

FHEM is well-known in the world of home automation. It's an open source GPL perl server used to automate common tasks in the house such as switching the lights on or off, regulating the heating, and more. Most of the protocols used in home automation are supported with FHEM, and the documentation is great… if you can manage to find what you're looking for. With a bit of a messy interface and some German popping out of nowhere, FHEM is still a good choice for enthusiasts.

Download FHEM or read the wiki. Another French player, Calaos is an open source platform for home automation with a decently sized community to back it up. The forum is not as active as the one from Domoticz, but it's good enough to learn more about the traits of the software. Calaos is interesting because it offers an entire stack of apps to be used across multiple devices: Web, Android, iOS, Linux, and more.

The documentation also teaches you how to get everything set up on your own. Try it on your own! Download Calaos or learn how to use it. Like many other frameworks in this area, Pimatic runs on Node. The key focus of this framework is flexibility: it can be picked up rather quickly and "easily.

Install Pimatic on your system or try the demo. This means that, once installed on your low-power machine including the Raspberry Pi , it can service the same requests you are used to on your iOS device via Siri.

The original contributors to this project thought of this because of the countless devices that couldn't connect to the Apple ecosystem, bringing the best of both home automation and open source projects together.

Check out the Homebridge plugins or visit the Github page. A community project. That's what Uwe Freese calls Smarthomatic. Uwe built the framework after years of working with microcontrollers in his personal and work life.

One aspect of this is home automations systems. A home automation system combines hardware and software via a wireless network to control your home electronics and appliances through one device which could be a smartphone, tablet, or a specific central automation control hub system. These devices can be controlled remotely even when you're not at home. Some of these work via apps, others with a voice assistant like Alexa, or Siri, and others through the main automation hub itself.

There are many things that can be controlled by a home automation system and we look at a few of these below. Home automation options are growing by the day, and just a few of the types of devices that can be operated via a home automation controller are:.

We read through thousands of home automation system reviews on Amazon and you can find our list of the top home automation solutions below. The very highly-rated Logitech Harmony Elite remote control home automation system with hub and app can control up to 15 synched devices in your home.

The all-in-one home automation remote control has an easy-to-operate color touchscreen and can even work appliances that are hidden away in cupboards. It works with Alexa and has a handy upright charging dock so you never run out of power.

You can video call, control your entertainment devices, and pretty much anything else you synch with it—and the price is not to be balked at either. One reviewer raved, "This product rocks! The Savant Pro is a premium home automation system that caters to the high-end market. That means, yes, it's not cheap, but it does what you need and does it well. While the amount of hardware partners numbers in the dozens — rather than the hundreds - this does offer compatibility with the likes of Honeywell.

That helps to make this, otherwise luxury provider, fit in with the average homeowners too. Savant Pro works with security cameras, safety sensors and energy monitoring with a host of controls including a touchscreen wall or table-mounted tablet interface.

The system comes with a two-year warranty and features a Savant Remote, which you can use as a trial before committing to the full system installation. The Vivint Smart Home Security system is a simple but effective relative newcomer to home automation systems. It minimally offers three packages, all with cellular backup. This delivers camera-based security, for a surcharge, smoke, and CO monitoring as well as medical alert monitoring. This all requires professional installation, however, so you will need to factor that in too.

The Smart Complete top-end package offers video monitoring with security cameras and video doorbell, heating controls, Alexa and Google Assistant integration, and lots of sensors for doors and windows. This comes with a wall-mountable touchscreen tablet interface but also comes with an iOS and Android app too.

Unfortunately, the price tends to vary depending on the size and layout of your home as well as the equipment you get. A simple home automation system usually includes a central controller, sensors, light switches, thermostats , and locks.

However, we've included lots of more affordable smart home devices which double up as speakers too. The central controller is usually the most expensive component, followed by security cameras, thermostats and locks. This includes installing new outlet boxes, home theaters, whole-house audio systems and surveillance cameras throughout your home.

Running all of those wires behind walls and between rooms is time consuming, especially since your integrator needs to comply with building codes in your area. This means the more you customize your system, the more your integrator will likely charge. A professionally installed home automation system is a serious investment that can add value to your home — it's not a hobby or a gimmick. Installing a home automation system is as expensive and complex as remodeling your home.

Our research revealed some ways you can rein in your expectations to find a system that's best for you. Whole-house automation systems from Control4, Crestron, Elan , RTI , Savant and URC are more expensive than security systems, but they offer more flexibility and connectivity, particularly with home theaters.

If you find the app restrictive, you can always set-up voice commands by connecting with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to work with it, but it's not set up to provide the same multimedia experience that other voice-powered home automation systems can deliver, unless you plan to connect with existing smart audio-visual devices. All in all, the SmartThings hub can work well for people who are simply looking to set up a smart home automation system, but it's really set up to work with a lot of different pieces of hardware, rather than focused on delivering an immediate experience that some rivals can.

The Apple HomeKit is a home automation system specifically for users of Apple devices, using an iOS or macOS app to remotely control a whole range of smart devices around the home, using either a touchscreen or voice commands using Siri.

While the HomeKit has been available for a number of years, stringent demands by Apple for hardware security meant few third-parties originally developed products for it - these rules have since been relaxed to allow for software security measure to replace them instead, and the result is that the Apple HomeKit now supports a wide range of different smart peripherals.

However, the Home app used for controlling the HomeKit still suffers from minor usability issues. Connecting new smart devices isn't so automated as with other home automation systems, as they have to be manually added by scanning printed codes and this can only be carried out on an iPhone or iPad, not from a Mac.

Additionally, the Home app is sometimes unable to manage smart devices as well as the dedicated apps for those smart devices. Additionally, Siri voice controls remain highly developed and are often more nuanced than some other voice assistants, allowing you to speak in a more natural and less artificial voice.

There are also some nice configuration settings for rooms and zones so the whole smart experience can feel more customized than some others. Overall, while the HomeKit can seem a little more limited in some ways than other home automation systems, it can still deliver a very smart experience.

Brian has over 30 years publishing experience as a writer and editor across a range of computing and technology titles, and has been interviewed multiple times for BBC News and BBC Radio. He is also a science fiction and fantasy author, writing as Brian G Turner.

North America. Included in this guide: 1. Amazon Echo 2. Google Nest Hub 3. Wink Hub 2 4. Samsung SmartThings 5. Reasons to avoid - Small screen - Privacy concerns. Reasons to avoid - Some limited controls.