Setup Difficulty
Home Assistant requires installing on a Raspberry Pi or dedicated hardware, configuring YAML, and learning its ecosystem. SmartThings is app-guided setup in 10 minutes.
Local vs Cloud
Home Assistant runs 100% locally — all automations fire even when internet is down. SmartThings runs partly local but depends on Samsung cloud for some features.
Integrations
Home Assistant: 3,000+ official integrations + thousands of community add-ons. SmartThings: ~300 official integrations. No competition — Home Assistant wins massively.
Protocols Supported
Home Assistant supports every protocol with the right USB dongle: Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter, Thread, Bluetooth, WiFi. SmartThings supports Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter natively.
Cost
Home Assistant: free software. Hardware: Raspberry Pi 4 (~$60) or HA Green (~$99) or HA Yellow (~$140). SmartThings Hub: ~$70 with no software cost.
Ongoing Maintenance
Home Assistant releases monthly updates that occasionally require manual fixes. SmartThings updates automatically with no user intervention required.