Is Proprietary Smart-Home Hubs free? What it actually costs in 2026
The short answer
No free tier. It is a paid product.
Hardware plus creeping subscriptions (cloud features, video history) and cloud-dependent automations
What you are locked into
Proprietary cloud, closed device ecosystems, and app dependencies you don't control.
If you would rather not pay: Home Assistant
95
Home Assistant
Local-first home automation on hardware you own.
Free / open-source (runs on your own hardware)
See all 3 Proprietary Smart-Home Hubs alternatives comparedCompare the free options head-to-head
Pricing is verified against the vendor's published figures and dated above. Vendors change prices — confirm current numbers with Samsung / Amazon / Google before you commit. More smart home decisions on Macrostack.