Raspberry Pi Foundation / Home Assistant · Open-source Linux hubs

Raspberry Pi 4 with Home Assistant OS

Wi-Fi · Bluetooth LE · REST · about $75

local-onlyno cloud lock-in

Protocols

Wi-FiBluetooth LE
3.5 W
Idle power
$75
List price
~2000
Devices (est.)

Specifications

CategoryOpen-source Linux hubs
ProtocolsWi-Fi, Bluetooth LE
Cloud dependencyno cloud lock-in
Local APIREST
Voice assistantslocal (Whisper/Rhasspy)
Open sourcefully open-source
Directly supported devices (est.)~2000
Idle power draw~3.5 W
Update outlookactively maintained
List price (Amazon.com, Q2/2026)about $75
Best for: Privacy-firstBest for: Tech enthusiast / tinkererBest for: Budget under $80

Setup & gotchas

💾 Boot from a USB SSD instead of an SD card to avoid the classic corruption failures under heavy logging.
📡 Add a Zigbee or Z-Wave USB stick on a short extension cable to keep radio range away from the Pi board.

Editorial take

Our hands-on read — the specs above are the sourced facts.

Strengths

  • + Runs the full Home Assistant OS on cheap, widely available hardware
  • + Huge community, thousands of integrations, no subscription
  • + Onboard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth cover basic connectivity out of the box

Trade-offs

  • No Zigbee or Z-Wave radios onboard, so USB sticks are mandatory
  • SD-card installs can corrupt over time, SSD boot is recommended
  • Initial setup expects some Linux and networking comfort

Frequently asked questions

Does the Raspberry Pi 4 with Home Assistant OS require the cloud?
No. The Raspberry Pi 4 with Home Assistant OS runs local-only — REST, no vendor account is required for core automations.
Which protocols and voice assistants does the Raspberry Pi 4 with Home Assistant OS support?
Protocols: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE. Voice: local (Whisper/Rhasspy). It directly supports an estimated 2000 devices/brands.
How much does the Raspberry Pi 4 with Home Assistant OS cost and how much power does it use?
List price is about $75 (Amazon.com market observation, Q2/2026 — actual prices fluctuate). Idle power draw is roughly 3.5 W.

Source & last checked