If you want to manage and monitor home electrical appliances using your computer, you need to find the best open source home automation software. It allows you to turn lights and appliances on and off, set up an answering system, build a wireless network, automate TV and Hi-Fi, keep tabs on pets when you leave home, build a wireless network, create a weather station, and more.
When choosing home automation software, it is important to check if it is based on open protocols. Typically, developers add many useful features such as air conditioning, heating, lighting on/off, window blinds, heating, and others.
Using this software, you can control and manage your home systems while you are on vacation or a business trip. All you need is a device with an Internet connection.
Verdict: OpenHAB is designed to help the homeowner automate their home from anywhere in the world. The automation part of the program is designed so that it can be used by virtually anyone who has basic computer skills. OpenHAB is an open-source product, meaning that it is freely distributed and available to all.
You can also download and install various types of plugins which further increases the functionality of the program. Some of the plugins that they provide are designed to function using simple wireless network connections such as WAP. There are also several others that require connections through either a Bluetooth adapter or a USB port. If you want to have more control, you may need to use the home server software.
Verdict: Domoticz helps to control your home, garden, and even security and lighting. That allows making home automated. This home automation software lets users monitor and configure various devices.
It has been designed to work with just a single cable and it is very easy to install. Domoticz will be able to control different parts of their home just through one program. The user-interface is a scalable HTML5 web frontend, and is automatically adapted for desktop and mobile devices.
Verdict: Home Assistant is used to remotely control different devices in the home such as lights, TV, computers, and telephones. The same application will also send all messages to the monitoring station through mobile phones.
The advanced automated solution includes controlling the thermostat remotely, lighting and climate control, controlling the locks, setting up a smart home security system, and so on. Home Assistant offers a REST API and can interface with MQTT for easy integration with other projects like OwnTracks.
Verdict: With one single button, you can activate or deactivate all of the lights and appliances. This automation system is made to run all of the major appliances in your home, as well as controlling your TV, music system, heating, and security system. Some of the features include the ability to control each of the rooms individually with a single remote.
Calaos OS is a complete Linux distribution on its own. It also allows you to create different profiles for various rooms in your house. You can automatically turn off the lights, leave a message, or play a sound alarm.
Verdict: OpenMotics is a home automation and control platform that gives you unprecedented control and versatility for the home. It comes with an extensive library of over 500 scripts that are simple to operate and can be effortlessly incorporated with other OpenMotics components and systems.
You can even combine your OpenMotics and Internet connectivity for truly automated control of all your devices from lights to refrigerators, from security systems to PoE security camera systems. This software opens up all aspects of home and building automation: Schematics, PCB files, Bill of material, firmware source code, software source code, and the different protocols used are fully open-sourced.
Verdict: Home Genie is an internet-based system that allows users to control all aspects of their home from computer. It can interface to various devices such as X10, Insteon, Z-Wave, Philips Hue, UPnP/DLNA, RFXCom, KNX.
HomeGenie offers a built-in program editor and a developer-friendly API. Haven the ability to use RFID tags at the points of entry into your home. With the use of the correct radio frequency tags, guests can be identified.
Verdict: The PiDome is compatible with different operating systems such as Linux, Solaris, and Windows. This software will monitor all the systems and keep a record of them. Home automation software will alert you with messages whenever someone tries to access your home or when the door or window sensor is activated.
You can download it to a small device that will enable you to control your home appliance from anywhere in the world. You can check whether the temperature in your home is perfect or not through its sensors. PiDome supports the KODI multimedia system, RFXCOM, and MySensors.
