In short
Home Assistant discovers Shelly devices on the home network and talks to them locally, without going through the cloud. From there you build automations combining Shelly with climate, alarm, cameras or solar panels. They can also integrate through Matter or MQTT. A well-organised network, backups and controlled updates are advisable.
Ways to integrate Shelly
| Method | How it works | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Official Shelly integration | Discovers devices on the network and talks locally. | The recommended option in most cases. |
| Matter | Cross-vendor common standard. | When devices should also be shared with Apple Home, Google Home or Alexa. |
| MQTT | Messages through your own MQTT broker. | Installations with other systems or IoT platforms. |
| Zigbee or Z-Wave | Through a compatible controller. | Mesh networks with many devices or weak WiFi. |
Benefits of local control
- Instant response: commands never leave the house.
- Works even if the internet drops or the vendor changes its cloud service.
- Usage and energy data stay in the home.
- Different brands can share the same automations.
Network and maintenance
- Reserved IP addresses for each device so they do not change.
- A separate network for smart devices, with access only to what is needed.
- Good 2.4 GHz coverage, the band most devices use.
- Automatic Home Assistant backups stored off the device.
- Updates reviewed before applying them, especially with many automations.
- Remote access through a VPN or secure service, never by opening unprotected ports.
Where Home Assistant runs
Home Assistant can run on a dedicated mini PC, a home server or a virtual machine. What matters is that it is always on, ideally protected by a UPS, and backed up.