Trying to decide (Homey Pro or Hubitat)

Questions & Help
1

Good morning.
I know this is a Homey community, so I’m would think responses would be skewed toward Homey.

Try to find a good solution for my Smart Home to have control locally. I’m not too advanced with it yet but will be adding more as I go. I currently have a Ecobee thermostat, nest doorbell (which I will be switching to Eufy), Philips Hue lighting, iKea blinds and Arlo cameras (which will also be switch to Eufy). Opinions on whether I’d be better to go with Homey Pro or Hubitat would be appreciated.

Thank you.

2

I don’t know Hubitat, so I cannot help comparing. What I can say is that Homey is very simpel and I do like the app and the simple flows. But most important is if both solutions support all your smarthome products in use and how many brands will fill in future needs. But look into Homey Pro, I would not recommend the cheaper Bridge in combination with a cloudsubscription.

3

I don’t have experience with Hubitat, a friend who is a software engineer does. He likes it well enough but from plenty of chats I can’t help but think that Homey is more user friendly for those of us not software engineers

4

Just some ChatGPT information … (quickly checked and from my perspective seems to be relevant - I did not alter output in any way (even I’m Homey Pro fan despite of all it’s “benefits”)

Given your requirements and current smart home devices, let’s evaluate both Hubitat and Homey Pro to determine which might be a better fit for you.

Device Compatibility

  1. Ecobee Thermostat
  • Hubitat: Compatible and can be integrated locally.
  • Homey Pro: Also compatible and integrates smoothly.
  1. Nest Doorbell (switching to Eufy)
  • Hubitat: Nest devices require cloud integration. Eufy integration can be achieved through community drivers, but it might not be fully local.
  • Homey Pro: Offers better integration with Eufy through the Homey app store, though some functionality might still require cloud access.
  1. Philips Hue Lighting
  • Hubitat: Integrates well with local control using the Philips Hue bridge.
  • Homey Pro: Integrates smoothly with Philips Hue, both through the bridge and directly to bulbs.
  1. Ikea Blinds
  • Hubitat: Supported, with local control via the Zigbee network.
  • Homey Pro: Supported and integrates well with direct Zigbee communication.
  1. Arlo Cameras (switching to Eufy)
  • Hubitat: Limited direct support, relies on community integrations which may not be fully local.
  • Homey Pro: Better support for Eufy cameras via the Homey app, though some features may still need cloud access.

Ease of Use

  • Hubitat: Known for its powerful automation capabilities but has a steeper learning curve. The user interface is functional but not as polished, which can be challenging for beginners.
  • Homey Pro: Offers a very user-friendly interface with an intuitive Flow Editor for automations. It’s designed to be accessible for users of all technical levels, making it a smoother start for someone not very advanced yet.

Local Control

  • Hubitat: Emphasizes local control, which means faster response times and increased reliability as it doesn’t rely heavily on the cloud.
  • Homey Pro: While it supports local control for many devices, it does rely more on cloud services compared to Hubitat. However, its ease of integration and use often outweigh this dependency.

Future Scalability

  • Hubitat: Highly scalable with robust support for custom scripts and advanced automations. As you become more experienced, you can take advantage of its extensive customization options.
  • Homey Pro: Also scalable with a wide range of apps and integrations available. It’s user-friendly and can grow with your increasing needs and comfort with smart home technology.

Community and Support

  • Hubitat: Strong community with active forums where you can find a lot of custom drivers and automations shared by other users.
  • Homey Pro: Active community and extensive app store. The visual Flow Editor is widely appreciated for its simplicity and effectiveness.

Summary and Recommendation

Given your current devices and the need for local control while not being too advanced yet, Homey Pro might be the better choice for you. Its user-friendly interface and easy-to-use Flow Editor will make it simpler to manage your smart home setup. It offers good compatibility with your existing and planned devices, and while it does rely on some cloud functionalities, the trade-off for ease of use and integration is often worth it for users who are gradually building their smart home.

Hubitat is a strong contender if you prioritize complete local control and are willing to invest time into learning its more complex system. It’s great for advanced users or those planning to dive deep into custom automations and scripting in the future.

Ultimately, Homey Pro seems to strike a balance between ease of use and local control, making it a solid choice for your current needs and gradual expansion.

6

Thanks for the detailed analysis Sharkys. If read that voice integration works using Google or Siri shortcuts. Do you happen to know if the response is pretty instantaneous or is there a delay with it going to the cloud and back?

Thanks again.

7

It’s kind of immediate when using Google Home controls but using voice control, it’s kind of “works as designed” (but the delay is not on Homey side)

8

Hmm. This could be reasoned either way…

From a non programmers perspective Homey has a much friendlier UI and provides a really nice ‘flows’ based logic/scheduling offering… however.

If you are a hobbyist+ level programming user then it’s actually far easier to code a driver or application on Hubitat using Groovy. Hubitat provides a very approachable environment for intermediate programmers although the documentation is a bit lacking… you can also easily view other code examples.

Homey however is a much more complex (and refined) environment and needs skill levels above Groovy. I mean the coding language not the UI. Competent pro coders prefer this but it can makes entry/mid level programmers feel a little adrift. Homey’s code documentation is complete and excellent however.

For my own ‘quick’ HA needs I implement on Hubitat and only use Homey if I’m prepared to spend a lot of time on the project as I’m an enthusiast still learning. Both Homey and HE (and HA) have different strengths and can be used together if and as needed .

So Hubitat at a coding level sits neatly between Homey… and Homey. UI on Homey is great for non coders.

Ooops forgot to mention Homey has a scripting language called HomeyScript (Javescript) that provides a. solution between UI and full coding needs.

Going back to your OP either would suffice but Homey has a sexier UI.

10

So … I have Hubitat. For 1 hour already. First impressions:
The app is rather medieval. But … this OOMI Mote switch was added without any problem (as Aeotec).
I added a wall plug too. The switch can control the plug two floors below the hub in the garage. It works flawlessly and reacts immediately. No other devices between the floors. On the other hand, with Homey Pro, I needed to add several plugs along the way (about 3) to create a Z-Wave mesh and it still works slowly and is not reliable in the garage.
So my conclusion is clear: Homey Pro is a pure disaster from hardware / sensitivity point of view. And its software too (crashing when trying to add this switch). Their rule editor is much nicer though. The mobile app too (although the Fibaro one is even nicer).