Control4 vs Savant vs Crestron vs Home Assistant
Four platforms, four approaches to smart home automation. We install and work with all of them. Here is what we have learned about costs, dealer dependency, and which system actually fits your home.
The Dealer-Dependent Problem
Control4, Savant, and Crestron share a fundamental limitation that most homeowners do not discover until after the sale: you cannot modify, program, or maintain your own system.
Dealer-Dependent Systems
- Every change requires a certified dealer at $150-$400/hour
- Annual licensing and maintenance fees ($100-$2,000+/year)
- Proprietary hardware with limited device compatibility
- System becomes unsupported if your dealer closes or you move
Open Platform (Home Assistant)
- Full control to modify your system at any time
- $0/month in licensing or subscription fees
- 2,500+ integrations across every major device brand
- Any professional can service it, or you can DIY
Key Takeaway: The ongoing costs of dealer-dependent systems are rarely disclosed upfront. A $25,000 Savant installation can easily cost another $3,000-$5,000 per year in dealer service calls, licensing fees, and hardware updates. Home Assistant eliminates this dependency entirely.
The Contenders
Four smart home platforms, from open-source to ultra-luxury. Each one handles automation, pricing, and ownership differently.
Control4 (Snap One)
Mid-market automation platform, $10,000-$30,000 for a full home. Largest dealer network in the proprietary space. Most popular dealer-installed system by install count.
Savant
Luxury-tier automation, $25,000-$150,000. Apple-like design philosophy with high-end hardware and polished touchscreens. You pay a lot, but the hardware looks and feels expensive.
Crestron
Commercial and ultra-luxury, $50,000-$250,000+. The default in commercial AV and conference rooms. Residential installations are full custom-engineering projects.
Home Assistant
Open-source automation, $5,000-$15,000 professionally installed. Over 2,500 integrations, 100% local processing, no dealer required. The platform we recommend most.
Head-to-Head Comparison
All the major features and costs, side by side. Prices reflect typical professionally installed systems as of early 2026.
| Feature | Control4 | Savant | Crestron | Home Assistant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Cost (full home) | $10,000-$30,000 | $25,000-$150,000 | $50,000-$250,000+ | $5,000-$15,000 |
| Monthly/Annual Fees | ~$100-300/year | $120-500+/year | $500-2,000+/year | $0 |
| Dealer Required | Yes (all changes) | Yes (all changes) | Yes (all changes) | No |
| Programming Cost | $150-$250/hr | $150-$250/hr | $200-$400/hr | $0 (DIY) or $100/hr |
| Device Support | ~300 brands | Savant-certified only | Crestron-certified only | 2,500+ integrations |
| Local Processing | Partial | Partial | Partial (Home OS) | 100% local |
| Works Without Internet | Limited | Limited | Limited | Full functionality |
| Voice Control | Alexa, Google | Alexa, Google | Alexa, Google | Alexa, Google, Siri |
| Apple HomeKit | No | No | No | Yes |
| Open API | No | No | No | Yes |
| DIY Changes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Mobile App Quality | Good | Excellent | Good | Good (customizable) |
Prices are approximate for professionally installed systems as of February 2026. Costs vary significantly by home size, device count, and dealer region.
Control4
Mid-Market, Dealer-Installed
Control4 (now owned by Snap One) is the most widely installed dealer-based smart home platform. Founded in 2003, it sits between consumer-grade systems and ultra-luxury options like Savant and Crestron. Most homeowners hear about Control4 first when they ask a custom installer about whole-home automation.
A typical Control4 installation for a 3-4 bedroom home runs $10,000-$30,000 depending on the number of rooms, device types, and complexity of programming. The system supports around 300 third-party brands, which is broad by dealer-platform standards but narrow compared to Home Assistant's 2,500+. The Control4 mobile app and T4 touchscreens provide a polished interface, and the system handles lighting, shades, climate, cameras, and multi-room audio well.
The main drawback is the dealer lock. Every programming change, from adjusting a lighting scene to adding a new device, requires a certified Control4 dealer. Snap One charges dealers for software licenses, which gets passed to homeowners as annual fees ($100-$300/year for 4Sight remote access). If your dealer goes out of business or you move to an area without one, maintaining your system becomes difficult.
Best For
Homeowners who want a mid-range proprietary system with wide dealer availability and are comfortable with ongoing service contracts. Less expensive than Savant or Crestron, but still significantly more than Home Assistant for comparable functionality.
Savant
Luxury-Tier, Design-Forward
Savant markets itself as the Apple of smart home automation. The hardware looks great, the touchscreen interfaces are genuinely the best available, and everything feels premium. Savant's Pro Remote is widely considered the best universal remote ever made. If aesthetics and build quality matter more than anything else, Savant delivers.
That quality comes at a steep price. A full Savant installation typically costs $25,000-$150,000, with high-end homes easily exceeding $200,000. Savant restricts device compatibility to certified partners, which limits your choices. Annual software licensing runs $120-$500+ depending on the system size, and all programming requires a certified Savant dealer at $150-$250/hour.
The biggest risk with Savant is long-term ownership. The company has a smaller dealer network than Control4, and the proprietary hardware means there are no alternatives for service. Homeowners who move or whose dealer exits the business face a system that cannot be modified without finding another certified professional.
Best For
Homeowners where budget is not a primary concern and the visual design of the control interfaces is a top priority. Savant delivers the most polished physical experience of any platform on this list, but you pay a significant premium for it.
Crestron
Commercial-Grade, Ultra-Luxury
Crestron leads commercial AV and automation. Walk into any Fortune 500 conference room and there is a good chance the AV system runs on Crestron. They have been building control systems since 1971 and have more engineering depth than anyone else on this list. Their residential division (Crestron Home) brings that commercial background to luxury homes.
Residential Crestron installations are custom-engineered projects that typically cost $50,000-$250,000+. Every system is programmed in Crestron's proprietary SIMPL Windows or C# environments by certified programmers. The hardware is industrial-grade and very reliable, and nothing else comes close to Crestron for home theater and multi-room audio/video distribution.
The programming cost is the highest of any platform ($200-$400/hour), and the annual licensing and maintenance fees can run $500-$2,000+ per year. Crestron-certified devices are a fraction of what the broader market offers. For most residential automation needs (lighting, climate, cameras, locks), Crestron is way more than you need and way more than you should pay. Where Crestron earns its price is in dedicated home theaters and complex AV distribution, where commercial-grade hardware actually matters.
Best For
Ultra-luxury homes with complex AV distribution needs, dedicated home theaters, or homeowners who require commercial-grade reliability and have the budget to match. For standard automation (lighting, climate, cameras), Crestron is overkill for the vast majority of homes.
Home Assistant
Open-Source, No Dealer Required
Home Assistant is the world's largest open-source home automation platform, with over 2,500 integrations and a community of millions. It runs on local hardware in your home, a small dedicated computer that handles all automations without sending data to the cloud. Your smart home works during internet outages, responds faster than cloud-dependent systems, and keeps your data private.
A professionally installed Home Assistant system typically costs $5,000-$15,000 for a full home, which is one-fifth to one-twentieth the cost of the proprietary alternatives. That price includes the hardware (a Home Assistant Green or custom server), devices (Zigbee, Z-Wave, or WiFi), and professional configuration. There are no licensing fees, no subscriptions, and no dealer requirements. You can modify your system yourself or hire any qualified professional for support.
The trade-off is that Home Assistant does not come with luxury touchscreen hardware like Savant, and initial setup takes more work than a dealer-installed system. But with professional installation from a company like Leios Consulting, the day-to-day experience is comparable. Home Assistant supports Apple HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home, and Siri, so you get voice control across every ecosystem. It also supports Matter, the new universal smart home standard.
Best For
Homeowners who want the most functionality, the widest device support, and the best long-term value without dealer dependency. Whether you DIY or hire a professional installer, Home Assistant gives you full ownership of your smart home. See our complete smart home guide to learn how it works.
Key Takeaway: For the vast majority of homeowners, Home Assistant delivers equal or better automation capabilities at a fraction of the cost, with no ongoing fees and no dealer lock-in. The proprietary platforms justify their premium only for niche use cases like ultra-luxury hardware aesthetics (Savant) or commercial AV distribution (Crestron).
Winner by Use Case
There is no single "best" platform. The right choice depends on what you prioritize most.
Best for Budget
Winner: Home Assistant
One-fifth to one-twentieth the cost of proprietary systems, with no ongoing fees. A full-home professionally installed system runs $5,000-$15,000 compared to $10,000-$250,000+ for the alternatives. You save more every year: $0 in licensing, subscriptions, or mandatory dealer visits.
Best for True Luxury Feel
Winner: Savant
The best-looking hardware and user interface of any smart home platform. Savant's touchscreens and Pro Remote are genuinely beautiful objects. If budget is not a concern and the physical design of your control interfaces matters as much as the automation itself, Savant offers an experience no other platform matches.
Best for Commercial AV
Winner: Crestron
Nothing else comes close in conference rooms, dedicated home theaters, and complex multi-zone AV distribution. Crestron's 50+ years of commercial AV engineering means they own this category. If your home has a real commercial-grade theater or you need boardroom-level AV control, Crestron is the right tool.
Best for Long-Term Value
Winner: Home Assistant
No dealer lock-in, so you are never stuck with one service provider. Over 2,500 device integrations, so you can always pick the best hardware regardless of brand. $0/month in fees, so the system pays for itself compared to any proprietary alternative within the first year. And because it is open-source, the platform keeps improving with monthly updates at no cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about choosing between dealer-installed and open-source smart home platforms.
Which luxury smart home system is the cheapest?
Home Assistant, by a wide margin. Total system cost is $5,000-$15,000 for a full home. Control4 starts at $10,000-$30,000, Savant at $25,000-$150,000, and Crestron at $50,000-$250,000+. Most of the price difference comes from dealer programming fees and proprietary hardware markups, not from what the systems can actually do.
Can I switch from Control4 or Savant to Home Assistant?
Yes. Most of the underlying devices (lights, thermostats, cameras, locks) use standard protocols like Zigbee, Z-Wave, or WiFi that Home Assistant supports directly. The main components you lose are the proprietary controller hardware and any platform-specific touchscreens. We help Oklahoma homeowners migrate from dealer-dependent systems regularly.
Do I need a dealer to maintain a Home Assistant system?
No. Home Assistant is fully open-source and can be maintained by the homeowner, or by any qualified smart home professional. There are no dealer locks, no required service contracts, and no annual licensing fees. Leios Consulting offers optional support plans for homeowners who prefer professional maintenance.
Is Home Assistant reliable enough for a luxury home?
Yes. Home Assistant runs on local hardware in your home, so it works even when the internet goes down. It supports over 2,500 integrations and is used in homes from modest to multi-million dollar properties. Reliability comes from open standards and local processing, not from paying more for proprietary hardware.
What about commercial AV features like Crestron offers?
For residential use, Home Assistant covers the vast majority of automation needs. For dedicated home theater or distributed AV, you can integrate commercial-grade equipment (like Just Add Power or Atlona matrix switches) with Home Assistant at a fraction of the Crestron cost. If you genuinely need full commercial AV, Crestron remains strong in that niche.
Need Help Choosing the Right Platform?
We have installed all four platforms for Oklahoma homeowners. Book a free consultation and we will tell you which system makes sense for your home and budget.
Sources
- Control4 (Snap One) Official Site
- Savant Systems Official Site
- Crestron Electronics Official Site
- Home Assistant Official Site
- Home Assistant Integrations (2,500+ supported)
- Works with Home Assistant Partner Program
Prices and specifications current as of February 2026. Installation costs vary by home size, device count, and region. Contact us if you spot outdated information.