For most Home Assistant installations, run Home Assistant OS on hardware at home. Home Assistant must reach radios and devices on your local network, while a VPS sits elsewhere on the internet. Choose a VPS when your setup is mainly cloud-based or when you need a relay for remote access; otherwise, a local server is simpler, safer, and keeps automations working through an internet outage.
The short answer: host Home Assistant at home unless your devices are mostly cloud-based
Home Assistant is a local automation hub. It needs to communicate with your Ethernet and Wi-Fi devices and, when fitted with the right adapter, Zigbee, Z-Wave and Bluetooth equipment. A VPS has an internet connection but is not physically on your home network. It cannot directly see those radios or LAN devices without a VPN, tunnel or separate bridge.
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A home installation therefore fits the normal use case: the controller is beside the devices and USB radios it manages. It can continue running lights, heating schedules and door automations when your internet service fails. A VPS can be useful for a cloud-heavy installation, a laboratory environment, or as a secure relay that lets you reach a Home Assistant instance at home without opening router ports.
Do not confuse hosting location with remote access. You can host Home Assistant locally and still manage it securely from outside your home. You can also put the software on a VPS, but you will usually need to move device connectivity to the VPS or maintain a second system at home.
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What Home Assistant needs from its host
Local network reachability
Many integrations discover devices through local IP traffic, multicast discovery or vendor-specific protocols. A controller in your house can communicate with those devices over the same LAN. A VPS normally cannot, because the VPS provider’s network is isolated from your private address space. A site-to-site VPN can join the networks, but it adds configuration, encryption keys, routing rules and another failure point.
Radio access
Zigbee and Z-Wave require a USB coordinator or a built-in radio. Bluetooth devices need a Bluetooth radio within useful range. A USB stick plugged into a computer in your house is not available to a remote VPS. You would have to keep the radio at home and expose it through a bridge, or use a network-attached coordinator. Place radios away from USB 3 interference, metal cabinets and Wi-Fi access points; location can materially change reception.
Storage for the database
Home Assistant writes history, statistics and logs continuously. Storage speed and endurance matter more than a large CPU for this workload. SD cards are a commonly reported weak point, so an SSD—preferably NVMe on hardware that supports it—is a better long-term choice. Keep backups on a different device or off-site; a backup stored on the same disk does not protect against disk failure.
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Home Assistant OS on your own hardware
Home Assistant OS (HAOS) is the project’s recommended route for people bringing their own hardware, including Raspberry Pi, Odroid and x86-64 systems. It packages the operating system and Home Assistant, simplifies updates and backups, and supports add-ons. That integration is the main reason it is easier than installing Home Assistant inside a general-purpose Linux, macOS or Windows environment.
HAOS is available for 64-bit x86 and ARMv7-or-newer hardware. Figures commonly cited by vendor and blog guides are rough planning values rather than an official performance guarantee: about 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage as a minimum, with some older guides still listing 1 GB and 16 GB. A more comfortable target is at least 4 GB of RAM and a 64 GB or larger SSD.
Home Assistant Green
Home Assistant Green is the official plug-and-play appliance. It is intended for someone who wants a supported box without selecting a single-board computer, storage device and power supply. You still need to provide any Zigbee or Z-Wave coordinator required by your devices and place the appliance where its network connection is reliable.
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Raspberry Pi 5 with an SSD
A Raspberry Pi 5 paired with SSD storage is a low-power do-it-yourself option. It is suitable when you want a small, quiet controller and are comfortable assembling the hardware, installing HAOS and arranging a case, power supply and storage. The SSD removes the most common objection to running a database on a removable SD card. USB radio placement may require an extension cable so the coordinator is not next to the board or other sources of interference.
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x86 mini PC
An x86 mini PC offers more headroom for add-ons, video processing and local machine-learning workloads. It is the sensible home-server class when you expect to run Frigate, keep several cameras recording, or use additional services alongside Home Assistant. An SSD, wired Ethernet and 4 GB or more of memory make a practical baseline; increase memory if you know you will run memory-intensive add-ons.
Linux, macOS, Windows and container-only installations
These methods can work, but they separate Home Assistant from the appliance-style operating system. You become responsible for the host operating system, container runtime, update order, networking and backup procedure. They are useful when you already administer a server or need another workload on the same machine, not because they are simpler for a first installation.
VPS hosting: when it works and what it cannot do
What a VPS gives you
A virtual private server provides an always-on internet-connected computer in a data center. It is attractive when you have no suitable machine at home, want a publicly reachable endpoint, or run an automation setup composed almost entirely of cloud APIs. The provider handles the physical power, cooling and upstream connectivity, while you handle the operating system, Home Assistant installation, firewall and backups.
For a self-managed Home Assistant VPS, Antihost VPS provides Linux VPS hosting with full root access, NVMe storage, 1 to 16 vCPUs and 2 to 64 GB of RAM in the USA East, Netherlands and Ukraine. You still manage Home Assistant, the operating system, firewall and backups.
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Without a network link back to your house, a VPS cannot directly discover or control Zigbee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth or ordinary LAN devices. Putting a local device or protocol endpoint on the public internet is a security risk. A VPN can make the home LAN and VPS appear connected, but you must configure routing and ensure that only the required services are reachable. For radio protocols, a bridge at home still has to talk to the coordinator; the VPS is not magically given a USB port in your house.
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Who should choose a VPS
- Users whose integrations are predominantly cloud services and do not depend on local discovery or USB radios.
- Administrators who already operate VPNs, firewalls and Linux servers.
- People who want a small internet-facing relay while keeping the actual Home Assistant controller at home.
- Testing or demonstration environments where losing access to home devices is acceptable.
Do not choose a VPS solely because a hosting company claims it is more reliable. That is a vendor position, and it conflicts with a different advantage of home hosting: local automations continue during an internet outage. Decide which failure matters more for your household.
Home server versus VPS at a glance
| Factor | Home server | VPS |
|---|---|---|
| LAN and Wi-Fi devices | Direct access on the local network | Requires VPN, tunnel or a bridge |
| Zigbee, Z-Wave and Bluetooth | USB or built-in radio can be attached locally | Not directly available; radio must remain at home or be network-bridged |
| Works during an ISP outage | Yes for local devices and schedules, assuming power remains available | No access to the VPS from home, and cloud integrations may fail |
| Initial setup | Choose hardware, storage, power and network connection | Provision a VM, secure the OS and install Home Assistant |
| Maintenance | You maintain hardware and replace failed storage | Provider maintains physical infrastructure; you maintain the VM and software |
| Remote access | Needs a cloud service, VPN or tunnel | Public endpoint is easy to provide, but must be hardened |
| Best fit | Homes with local devices and radios | Cloud-heavy systems or relay duties |
Hardware planning and realistic resource levels
Use the following as planning guidance, not as guaranteed limits. The figures come from vendor and blog recommendations, and Home Assistant’s official requirements should be checked for the release you install.
| Workload | Planning target | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Basic HAOS, a few integrations | At least 2 GB RAM and 32 GB storage; 64-bit x86 or ARMv7+ CPU | Commonly cited minimum-level guidance |
| Comfortable everyday system | 4 GB or more RAM, 64 GB or larger SSD | Leaves room for history, updates and add-ons |
| Zigbee2MQTT plus MQTT | About 4 GB RAM total is commonly estimated | Additional services consume memory beyond the core |
| Frigate with two to four cameras | About 8 GB RAM is commonly estimated, with CPU or accelerator needs depending on detection settings | Video analysis and retention are substantially heavier |
| Many cameras or local AI | x86 mini PC with more memory and fast SSD | Provides headroom unavailable on the smallest boards |
Power protection is as important as raw specifications. A small UPS can keep the controller and network equipment running through brief interruptions, allowing a clean shutdown during a longer failure. Use wired Ethernet where possible for the host; Wi-Fi can work, but losing the access point also disconnects every Wi-Fi integration.
Remote access without exposing Home Assistant directly
Nabu Casa cloud service
The official paid cloud service provides remote access without requiring router port forwarding and also supports related cloud features. One vendor blog has quoted a price of $75 per year, but that figure is not verified here and may change; check the current official pricing before budgeting. This is the least network-administration-heavy option.
A VPS as a relay for a home installation
In the relay design, Home Assistant remains on the home server beside the radios. A small VPS provides a reverse proxy or other public endpoint, while a VPN or encrypted tunnel connects the VPS to the home instance. Requests arrive at the VPS and travel through that private link, so you do not open an inbound port on the home router.
This architecture adds a VPS bill and another service to monitor, but it keeps device traffic and radio control local. Configure the relay to forward only the Home Assistant service, enforce HTTPS, use strong authentication and restrict administrative access to the VPN.
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Tailscale or Headscale
These tools create a WireGuard-based mesh. A managed mesh is convenient because it avoids manual port forwarding; Headscale is a self-hosted control plane you can run on your own VPS. Install the client on the Home Assistant host and on the devices you use for administration, then access the private mesh address rather than publishing Home Assistant to the entire internet. Follow the project’s current add-on and client instructions because names and permissions can change between releases.
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A tunnel can make an outbound connection from your home network to a service that accepts remote traffic, avoiding inbound router rules. Cloudflare Tunnel is managed by a third party; a reverse SSH tunnel can be operated directly but requires process supervision, key management and reconnect logic. In both cases, remember that traffic passes through an intermediary and that the tunnel endpoint becomes a security boundary.
Port forwarding
Forwarding a router port straight to Home Assistant is the weakest option in this list. It exposes a service to unsolicited internet traffic and leaves patching, certificates, rate limiting and intrusion response entirely to you. If you use it despite the risk, place a hardened reverse proxy in front, require HTTPS and multi-factor authentication where available, restrict source addresses when practical, and monitor logs. A VPN or outbound tunnel is preferable.
Installing a home server: a practical sequence
- Choose the host. Select Home Assistant Green for an appliance experience, a Raspberry Pi 5 with SSD for a low-power DIY build, or an x86 mini PC when cameras and heavier add-ons are planned.
- Prepare reliable storage. Use an SSD rather than relying on an SD card for a database-heavy installation. Verify that the drive and power supply are compatible with the chosen board.
- Install HAOS. Write the image for your hardware, boot it on the wired network and complete the initial account and location setup. Use the current installation instructions for the exact image and boot method.
- Connect radios. Attach Zigbee or Z-Wave USB adapters with a short extension cable if needed. Add Bluetooth hardware if the host does not provide it, and place each coordinator where it has a clear path to devices.
- Add integrations. In the Home Assistant interface, use Settings → Devices & services → Add integration. Start with local integrations, then add cloud accounts only when necessary.
- Install only required add-ons. Zigbee2MQTT, an MQTT broker and camera software consume resources; check memory and storage after each addition.
- Configure backups. Use Settings → System → Backups to create scheduled backups, then copy them off the host. Test restoring one before you need it.
- Select remote access. Enable the official cloud service, join a mesh VPN, or configure a relay tunnel. Do not expose the installation directly until you understand the security consequences.
Deploying on a VPS: a safer sequence
- Confirm device requirements first. List every local integration and radio. If the list includes Zigbee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth or LAN discovery, plan a home bridge or keep Home Assistant at home.
- Choose an operating system and size. Allocate memory for Home Assistant plus the database and add-ons you will run. The 4 GB and 8 GB figures above are rough guides, not provider guarantees.
- Harden the server. Apply updates, disable password-based SSH in favor of keys, enable a host firewall and allow only required ports. Keep the management interface off the public internet when possible.
- Install Home Assistant using a supported method. Container-only deployment is flexible but requires you to manage the host OS, container runtime, upgrades and backups. Follow the current Home Assistant documentation for the release you select.
- Create the private link. Use a mesh VPN, site-to-site WireGuard connection or outbound tunnel to reach devices at home. Document routes and ensure the VPN does not unintentionally expose your entire LAN.
- Secure remote access. Use HTTPS, strong unique credentials and multi-factor authentication where supported. Restrict relay rules to the Home Assistant endpoint.
- Back up outside the VPS. A snapshot in the same provider account is not a complete disaster-recovery plan. Keep encrypted copies in a separate location and periodically verify that they can be restored.
Reliability, security and recovery trade-offs
Internet outages
With a home server, local schedules and local device control can continue while the ISP is down. Cloud-dependent integrations, voice services and remote access will not. With a VPS, your controller is reachable from the internet but cannot control a disconnected home LAN; if the link between the VPS and home fails, local control is unavailable through the VPS.
Power and hardware failures
A VPS benefits from data-center infrastructure, but its virtual machine can still fail because of an operating-system error, provider incident or misconfiguration. A home server is vulnerable to household power, heat, disk wear and accidental unplugging. A UPS, spare boot media and tested backups reduce the impact of either choice.
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Every additional bridge, tunnel or proxy expands the attack surface. Keep Home Assistant and add-ons updated, remove unused integrations, use separate credentials for third-party services, and review which entities are exposed remotely. Never assume that a private IP address alone is an authentication mechanism.
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Common pitfalls and fixes
“My VPS cannot discover anything”
Discovery protocols usually stop at the VPS network boundary. Move Home Assistant to the LAN, establish a routed VPN with multicast support where required, or run a local bridge that publishes only the necessary data.
“Zigbee devices are unreliable after moving the coordinator”
Radio range and interference changed. Relocate the USB coordinator, use an extension cable, add powered Zigbee routers and avoid placing the stick beside the computer, a Wi-Fi access point or metal equipment.
“The database keeps growing”
Reduce recorder retention and exclude noisy entities from history, then place the database on SSD storage. Export important statistics before deleting history, and maintain an off-site backup.
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“Remote access works but feels unsafe”
Replace direct port forwarding with a VPN or outbound tunnel, enforce HTTPS and multi-factor authentication, and inspect the relay’s access logs. Revoke old devices and regenerate credentials after a suspected compromise.
“An update broke the installation”
Take a full backup before upgrades, keep a known-good recovery path and update add-ons in a controlled order. If the host will not boot, restore HAOS or move the backup to replacement hardware, then reconnect radios using the same coordinator backup procedure supported by that integration.
Which option fits your situation?
- Choose a home server if you use Zigbee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth, local cameras, LAN discovery, or automations that must run during an internet outage.
- Choose Home Assistant Green if you want the simplest supported appliance and do not want to assemble a computer.
- Choose a Raspberry Pi 5 with SSD if low power, small size and hands-on setup matter and your add-on load is moderate.
- Choose an x86 mini PC if you expect several cameras, Frigate, local AI or many add-ons.
- Choose a VPS if your integrations are mostly cloud-based or you already operate Linux, firewalls and VPNs confidently.
- Choose a VPS relay when Home Assistant should stay at home but you want a private, port-forward-free path for remote access.
For the typical home, install Home Assistant OS on a Raspberry Pi 5 with SSD, Home Assistant Green or an x86 mini PC near the network and radios. Add a secure remote-access layer—official cloud service, mesh VPN or a small relay VPS—and send backups off-site. That arrangement preserves local control while giving you dependable access when you are away.
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