Local-First Hardware: The Only Way to Save the Smart Home
AI-generated image · US National Wire
Home Assistant is stripping 'cloud' from its branding as founder Paulus Schoutsen argues that proprietary cloud ecosystems are breaking the promise of the connected home.
As The Verge first reported, open-source smart home platform Home Assistant is removing the word "cloud" from its logo and renaming its cloud service to Home Assistant Link. Founder Paulus Schoutsen told The Verge that "Big tech ruined the cloud," arguing that proprietary cloud ecosystems have harmed the industry.
While the platform still runs on local hardware, Home Assistant Link—run by commercial partner Nabu Casa—allows remote access and encrypted backups for $6.50 a month or $65 a year. Schoutsen emphasizes that Link has no access to user data and that 60 percent of its profit funds the non-profit Open Home Foundation.
The move highlights the risks of cloud-dependence; Schoutsen cited Nest's early thermostats and the $1,500 June Oven by Weber as examples of products that became "dumb" once servers were shut down. To combat this, Schoutsen advocates for open standards—including Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave, MQTT, and ESPHome—and suggests manufacturers use "nutrition labels" to disclose cloud dependency.
To reach a mainstream audience, the company plans to launch a more user-friendly hub next year and utilize generative AI to lower the platform's steep learning curve.