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Home Assistant · Configurator

Home Assistant Setup Guide

Home Assistant runs on a Raspberry Pi 4 for under $80 and controls over 3,000 devices locally, with no cloud required. The hardest question at the start isn’t the software – it’s the hardware. Is a Raspberry Pi enough, or do you want a more powerful box from day one?

The answer comes down to three things: how many devices you want to connect, how much you’re willing to configure yourself, and what you can spend. A 20-device setup has very different needs than a home with 50 lights, sensors, and cameras.

Answer the three questions below and the configurator names the right hardware with a clear rationale – plus three sensible integrations to set up first.

Step 1: How many smart home devices do you have (or plan to)?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I install Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi 4?
Yes — the Raspberry Pi 4 is the most popular Home Assistant hardware. With Home Assistant OS (HAOS) it's basically plug and play: flash the image to a microSD card, insert it, boot, done. 2GB of RAM handles under 50 devices; go with 4GB for larger setups.
What's the difference between a Raspberry Pi and Home Assistant Green?
The Raspberry Pi is a general-purpose mini computer you configure yourself. Home Assistant Green is finished, plug-and-play hardware built specifically for HA — no tinkering, just power it up. Green runs about $99, while a Pi 4 kit is around $60–80.
Which devices can I control with Home Assistant?
Over 3,000 integrations: Philips Hue, IKEA, Shelly, Sonoff, Zigbee/Z-Wave devices, Spotify, Google Assistant, Alexa, Tesla, Ecobee, Tasmota, and many more. Local protocols like Matter and Thread are supported too, so a lot of it works without any cloud.
Do I need a Zigbee dongle for Home Assistant?
Not strictly, but it's recommended. Zigbee devices (many Hue, IKEA, Aqara, and Tuya products) talk to HA directly with no cloud when you plug in a USB Zigbee dongle (like the SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus). Wi-Fi-based devices (Shelly, Tasmota) work fine without one.

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