Sell Products with Home Assistant

#1

Hi,
i am an freelancer in IT solutions and similar stuff. It come to my mind to either buy hardware like raspberry pi or odroid, install Home Assistant to it and sell it to customers. Or buy the Home Assistant Blue Bundle and resell it to the customers.

Now the first thing i thought of is, that this is open source and i dont know, if i can make profit on products where home assistant is isntalled on it. I tried to learn mor about Apache-2.0 License, but i was not successful. Also i tired to find answers by searching in this forum, but again i was not succesful.

So can you tell me if im allowed to sell prdoucts with home assistant on it or sell the home assistant blue bunde, as a freelancer to make profit ?

Thank you!

Best regards

#2

Whatever the answer to your question, a bigger problem is likely to be that HA is not (and probably never will be) a finished product. It is designed for and by people who like to tinker - and a good thing too, given the fragmented and rapidly developing state of the smart home industry. (The old version numbering system made this clear - always 0.xxx, never 1.0.)

If you base a product on it, your support desk will be a nightmare. Have a look at this post.

#3

Hi Stiltjack,

thanks for your reply.

I think this can be dvided in several sub topics:

  1. I think HA coverges to a state of high(er) stability.
  2. stability is close connected to my personal update policy.
  3. with the latest conference this is the first time HA have a recommeted hardware, where they ensure support for this product the next 10 years or so, so i think the issue “stability” can be quite reduced.

but you are also right, first and for most, this was not exactly, what im asking for.

Best regards.

#4

Yes indeed.

Besides the Raspberry Pi you’d probably need to offer a package of sensors, switches and lights, as well as a standard dashboard and perhaps even a device to display it on - otherwise you’d end up with a bespoke product, which from the business point of view could get difficult very quickly.

There is a long discussion of the pros and cons of HA installation as a business here.

#5

Thanks for the input. I will take a look into the discussion.

I hope somebody can tell me more about Apache 2.0 and where i can find further information.

#6

I think you need to look at what your trying to sell. If it’s a package like the Blue your going to have to figure out how you can compete against the many other options out there.

My impression is most folks who get into Home Automation with something like Home Assistant do so more as a hobby and an opportunity to learn and be part of a community of people with similar interests. So many of us are buying components and putting them together for our unique solutions and tastes. I think that would be hard to profit from.

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#7

Hi VikingBlood, thanks for your reply.

Yes indeed, i also think, one have to be aware and carefully, what to do witn HA. Right now im thinking rather of simple light automations, than a complex indivudial automated home.

But again, your advide is an advice for my business orientaiton, and not an answer to the question, if there are any concerns with the Apache 2.0 License.

Best regards.

1 Like
#8

Like you, I also plan to develop a hub based on ha, ui and app will be developed by myself. According to the Apache 2.0 License, if it is sold on Amazon, the software level seems to be explained.

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#9

Hi @LeChuck,

If I understand it correctly, the Apache license allows us to integrate HA in any product and sell it.

In the end, did you decide to go forward with your project? I would be interested to hear about your experience.

Regards.

#10

Hi @mathieuric,

no i did not went forward with this project.

Regards.

#11

Hello. I am thinking of the same project. If you can please tell me why you dropped yours it would be much appreciated. I am only wondering if you found out that this was not worthy and if so, why?