Sustainable Substitutes for Big Tech Smart Home Systems

Ethical alternatives to Alexa, Google and Apple Home, focusing on privacy and open-source.

  • Feasibility: How easily can the average user switch to this substitute? Higher feasibility results in a higher ranking.
  • Editor's Rating: How sustainable is the substitute? The more sustainability attributes it fulfils, the higher it is ranked.

FHEM

A free and open-source home automation server with support for many protocols and hardware.

FHEM was created in Germany and is maintained by a European community.
FHEM is licensed under GPL v2, making it fully open-source and freely available for modification and distribution.
FHEM runs locally on your own hardware, ensuring that your smart home data remains private and under your control.
FHEM does not require any registration or account creation for local use.
FHEM is completely free to use, with no mandatory costs for core functionality.
FHEM supports a modular architecture with over 430 device and protocol modules, allowing users to customize their setup extensively.
FHEM works entirely offline, as it does not require an internet connection for local device control.
FHEM is designed to be self-hosted on a variety of hardware, from Raspberry Pi to dedicated servers.
FHEM is ad-free, as it is a community-driven, open-source project with no reliance on advertising.
Website

Home Assistant

A free and open-source home automation platform that doesn't store data in the cloud.

Home Assistant was created in the Netherlands and its development is supported by the Open Home Foundation, a European-based organisation.
The entire Home Assistant platform is open-source, allowing users to view, modify and contribute to its codebase.
Home Assistant itself is completely ad-free, as it is open-source and does not rely on advertising for revenue.
Home Assistant is designed to run locally on your own hardware, ensuring that your smart home data stays private and under your control.
You can use Home Assistant without creating an account or registering, especially if you self-host it.
The core Home Assistant software is free to use, with optional paid services (like Home Assistant Cloud) that fund further development.
Home Assistant supports a modular architecture, allowing users to add or remove integrations, plugins, and components as needed.
Home Assistant works entirely offline if self-hosted, as it does not require an internet connection for local device control.
Home Assistant is designed to be self-hosted on a variety of hardware, from Raspberry Pi to dedicated servers.
Website

openHAB

Open source automation software with support for all things home.

openHAB was founded in Germany in 2011 and is maintained by a global community
openHAB is ad-free, as it is a community-driven, open-source project with no reliance on advertising.
openHAB is fully open-source, allowing users to view, modify, and contribute to its codebase.
openHAB runs locally on your own hardware, ensuring that your smart home data remains private and under your control.
openHAB does not require any registration or account creation for local use.
openHAB is completely free to use, with no mandatory costs for core functionality.
openHAB supports a modular architecture with a vast library of bindings (integrations) and add-ons, allowing users to customize their setup extensively.
openHAB works entirely offline, as it does not require an internet connection for local device control.
openHAB is designed to be self-hosted on a variety of hardware, from Raspberry Pi to dedicated servers.
Website

How to move away from Big Tech Smart Home Systems

Here's a guide on how to migrate away from Alexa, Apple Home and Google Home.

Several migration guides are available, see for example one for moving to Home Assistant.

Suggestions and Feedback

If you have suggestions for more alternatives or general feedback, please contact me via email or create an issue over on Codeberg. Suggest Substitute on Codeberg Write an Email