Back in December, I reviewed the Homey Pro Mini, a dedicated smart home hub designed to bring all your devices together in one place. Overall, I really liked the software. It supported most of the devices in my smart home, and the advanced Flow Builder on desktop was genuinely impressive for creating complex automations.
However, I did run into issues with Matter devices constantly losing connection, which left me a little cautious about relying on it long term.
Then, at the end of December, Homey announced something interesting: a self-hosted server version of their platform.
In theory, this is a great idea. Instead of buying dedicated Homey hardware, you can run the Homey software yourself on existing hardware. There are versions available for Windows, macOS, Raspberry Pi devices, and even certain NAS systems.
So if you already have compatible hardware running 24/7 — maybe a Mac mini, NAS, or Raspberry Pi — you can potentially get the full Homey experience without needing another box plugged into your network.
Naturally, I wanted to try it.
What You Get — And What You Don’t
The self-hosted server supports Matter devices and integrations through manufacturer apps, but there are some important limitations.
If you want support for Zigbee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth, infrared, or 433MHz devices, you’ll still need to purchase a Homey Bridge, which costs around £70.
And unlike platforms such as :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}, you can’t use third-party USB dongles or the Bluetooth hardware built into your computer.
Even worse, there’s currently no Thread support at all.
That immediately feels like a big omission considering how important Thread is becoming in the smart home world.
Installation on macOS
To be fair, the installation process itself is straightforward.
You download the app, drag it into your Applications folder, and launch it. The software runs from the macOS menu bar, and from there you use the Homey mobile app to complete setup.
Oddly though, you can’t do the initial setup through a browser.
Even stranger, once everything was configured, I found the web interface didn’t work properly in Safari — despite the physical Homey device working perfectly in Safari when I reviewed it in December.
That’s particularly odd considering it’s effectively the same interface.
Once connected, setup is fairly polished. You configure your home layout with floors and rooms, which is quick and intuitive.
Adding Devices
Homey handles devices using downloadable apps, and there’s a decent ecosystem of third-party integrations available.
One positive change since my earlier review is that the official :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} integration is back. Tuya had previously removed support, so it’s good to see it return officially.
I also tried re-adding one of the Matter devices that previously kept disconnecting.
Unfortunately, it took an unusually long time to pair, which didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
And this is where the experience started to fall apart a little.
The Bugs
The biggest issue with Homey Self-Hosted right now is stability and polish.
For example, whenever I tried adding apps through the mobile app, Homey would open a login popup, authenticate successfully, and then throw an error page.
The only workaround was to manually go back and try again.
This happened multiple times and simply didn’t occur on the dedicated Homey hardware I tested previously.
Then there was the Tuya integration.
To authenticate the app, Homey displays a QR code that must be scanned using the Tuya mobile app.
The problem? If you’re already using your phone for Homey setup, scanning the QR code becomes impossible.
I ended up taking a screenshot, AirDropping it to my Mac, and scanning it from there.
Even after successfully authenticating, Homey still didn’t recognise the connection until I completely exited the setup process and started again.
To be fair, that feels more like a Tuya issue than a Homey issue — but when it’s an official integration, there really should be better quality control.
Missing Features
There’s another important omission here too.
On physical Homey devices, there’s an experimental Apple Home integration that allows you to expose unsupported devices to :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}.
That feature is completely missing on the self-hosted version.
So if your goal is using Homey to bridge unsupported devices into Apple Home, this setup won’t help you.
The Pricing Problem
All of this would be easier to forgive if the software were free.
But it isn’t.
You get one month free, after which it costs either £5 per month or £150 as a one-time purchase.
That pricing feels difficult to justify when the Homey Pro Mini costs around £200 and includes additional features like Thread support and Apple Home integration.
At that point, the self-hosted option starts to feel like relatively poor value.
My Overall Thoughts
After spending a few hours testing Homey Self-Hosted, I think the idea itself is genuinely excellent.
If the experience were smoother, I’d seriously consider paying the £150 and running it permanently on a Mac mini.
The interface is clean, the automation system is excellent, and the Flow Builder remains one of the best visual automation tools available.
But right now, it just feels unfinished.
There are too many bugs, too many rough edges, and too many missing features.
In fact — and this may be controversial — I actually think :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6} currently offers the better experience overall.
If you buy something like a Home Assistant Green alongside a Matter over Thread adapter and a Zigbee USB stick, you’ll spend roughly the same amount as Homey Self-Hosted plus the Homey Bridge — while gaining broader compatibility and more flexibility.
I’ve actually got a full video on that setup coming soon.
And honestly, that’s what makes this disappointing.
Homey has huge potential. The software design is strong, the automation system is genuinely powerful, and the overall concept makes a lot of sense.
But for me, it just doesn’t quite hit the mark yet.
If you’ve tried Homey Self-Hosted yourself, let me know what your experience has been.
