Home Assistant renames paid cloud service to Link amid push for local control
Home Assistant is renaming its paid Home Assistant Cloud service to Home Assistant Link, distancing the platform from the negative associations of cloud-dependent smart home products. The change is part of a wider effort to make Home Assistant easier for mainstream users, while keeping smart-home control local by default.
The service’s features remain broadly the same, with back-end improvements intended to boost speed and reliability. For $6.50 a month, Link enables remote access and optional internet-based features such as voice assistant integration, speech-to-text and encrypted backups; it is run by Nabu Casa, with encrypted traffic that the company says it cannot access. The service is optional, and 60 per cent of its profit supports the Open Home Foundation. Home Assistant also plans simpler dashboards, easier setup and a more user-friendly hub next year.
- Home Assistant Cloud is becoming Home Assistant Link.
- Local smart-home control remains the default.
- Link costs $6.50 monthly and helps fund development.
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Home Assistant is a software platform that lets people control smart home devices like lights and thermostats from a single hub in their home. Most mainstream smart home systems store this control on company servers in the cloud, but Home Assistant keeps control local and offline, avoiding dependence on internet companies.
The company offers an optional paid service, previously called Home Assistant Cloud and now being renamed Home Assistant Link, for $6.50 per month. This service provides remote access and optional cloud-based features like voice control and encrypted backups. Most users do not need this service, as the platform functions without internet connection.
The renaming reflects Home Assistant's effort to emphasise that local control is the default and the paid service is optional rather than essential. The company is also working to make Home Assistant simpler to set up and use, with plans for easier dashboards and hardware in coming years. These changes aim to appeal to mainstream users seeking smart home control without extensive technical knowledge.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Home Assistant says ‘Big tech ruined the cloud, so we’re out’”.