Home Assistant Cloud Alternative: SmartHomeEntry vs Nabu Casa (2026)
Reverse SSH tunnel instead of cloud proxy. Works with HA, Domoticz, Jellyfin, Nextcloud (Nabu supports HA only). Plans from $7/mo - Nabu: $6.50/mo HA-only. Honest migration and an honest comparison.
SmartHomeEntry vs Nabu Casa - the facts
| SmartHomeEntry | Nabu Casa | |
|---|---|---|
| Supported services | HA, Domoticz, OpenHAB, Jellyfin, Nextcloud, NAS, Grafana, any HTTP/HTTPS | Home Assistant only |
| URL format | your-home.smarthomeentry.com (short) | random-token.ui.nabu.casa (long token) |
| Monthly price | $7 (1) / $24 (5) / $60 (20) | ~$6.50 (1 installation) |
| One-time access | Yes - $5/$12/$25 for 7/30/90 days | No - subscription only |
| Agent | Open-source (GitHub) | Closed-source cloud proxy |
| Data location | EU (OVH Warsaw) | Multi-region (per Google Cloud) |
5 reasons to consider SmartHomeEntry
Works with more than just HA
Got Home Assistant + Domoticz + Jellyfin + Nextcloud on the same server? Nabu Casa won't help - it supports ONLY HA. SmartHomeEntry tunnels any HTTP/HTTPS service: HA, Domoticz, OpenHAB, Jellyfin, Plex, Nextcloud, NAS, Grafana, Node-RED. One subscription, multiple subdomains.
Short, memorable URL
Nabu gives you `hashed-random-token.ui.nabu.casa/?auth=...` - practically unmemorable. SmartHomeEntry: `your-home.smarthomeentry.com`. Type from memory, share with family, no copy-paste needed.
One-time access (Vacation Access)
Going away for 2 weeks? Buy access for $5-$12 for your vacation instead of paying $6.50/mo year-round. Nabu Casa doesn't offer this - subscription only.
Open-source agent
The agent's code is public on GitHub. Check what it sends, compile it yourself if you want, audit it. Nabu Casa is a closed cloud proxy - you take their word for it.
Installer plans (multi-client)
Pro (5 installations / $24) and Business (20 / $60) let you manage multiple clients from one panel, with alerts and SLA reports. Nabu Casa = 1 account = 1 home. For a Smart Home installer that's a disqualifier.
3 situations where Nabu Casa is the better choice
You want Google Assistant / Alexa cloud
Nabu Casa has built-in Google Assistant and Alexa Cloud integration. You say "OK Google, turn on the living room lights" and it works without additional config. SmartHomeEntry doesn't do that - we're a tunnel, not a voice-assistant bridge.
You want to financially support the HA project
Nabu Casa is part of the Open Home Foundation and directly funds Home Assistant development. If you use HA daily and want to vote with your wallet - Nabu is the right path. SmartHomeEntry is an independent commercial product.
You want absolutely zero config
Nabu Casa is an official HA add-on - enable with one click in the UI. SmartHomeEntry needs a curl command in the terminal (15 seconds of work, but still the terminal). If that puts you off, Nabu is easier.
How to move from Nabu Casa to SmartHomeEntry - 4 steps
- 1
Create a SmartHomeEntry account
Sign up → pick a plan (Home $7 or Pro $24) → generate an install token in the panel. Takes 2 minutes.
- 2
Install the agent on HA
Copy the `curl ... | bash` command from the panel and paste it on your HA server (HAOS: Terminal & SSH add-on; Docker: exec into the container; Core: a terminal). The agent self-configures with one command.
- 3
Update the URL in the mobile app
In the HA Companion app: Settings → Remote access → change the URL to your SmartHomeEntry subdomain. Desktop app the same. The whole family does it once.
- 4
(Optional) keep Nabu Casa for Google Assistant
If you used Nabu mainly for Google Assistant/Alexa - keep Nabu active for cloud assistants only, and move remote UI access to SmartHomeEntry. Both run in parallel with no conflict.
Nabu Casa → SmartHomeEntry migration
No. Both run in parallel with no conflict at the HA level. You can cancel Nabu after migrating, but technically you don't have to.
Common scenario. Keep Nabu Casa active ONLY for Google Assistant / Alexa cloud integration. Move remote UI access to SmartHomeEntry (cheaper, faster, shorter URL). You'll pay for both, but the total is less than Nabu alone plus a second service for your other apps.
Yes. Voice commands in the HA Companion app go through HA Conversation agent (locally) - the SmartHomeEntry tunnel doesn't affect that. Same behavior as Nabu.
Yes, both run in parallel. Standard migration: enable SmartHomeEntry, test for 2-4 weeks, then cancel Nabu if you're happy. No penalty for running both.
No. Both Nabu Casa and SmartHomeEntry are just a WAY to access remotely - they don't touch your HA database, automations, or config. You only switch the URL in the mobile app. Zero data-loss risk.
Ready to migrate?
Test SmartHomeEntry in parallel with Nabu Casa - no risk. Start from $7/mo or $5 for 7 days.