Home Assistant Green NZ pricing starts at about A$279 from Australian distributors that ship here (checked September 2026). For that you get the simplest way to run Home Assistant, the free open-source smart home platform: a small box that plugs into your router and controls Zigbee, Wi-Fi and Matter devices locally. This guide is for people deciding whether they need one.
It isn’t for everyone. With a handful of Wi-Fi plugs and a smart speaker you may not need a hub at all; our home automation explainer has a quiz that tells you, and the beginner’s guide to smart home devices covers the devices themselves.
Key takeaways
- The Green is a ready-made Home Assistant box: quad-core processor, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB storage and Ethernet, with no radios built in.
- Budget about A$279 for the Green, plus US$49 for a Connect ZBT-2 if you want Zigbee or Thread devices.
- Everything runs on your own network; Home Assistant Cloud (US$6.50 a month) is optional.
- Yellow is no longer made. A Raspberry Pi 5, a mini PC or a virtual machine suits tinkerers and heavier jobs.
- It shines with mixed brands, heat pumps, energy monitoring and automations that must keep working offline.
In this guide
- What is Home Assistant Green?
- Home Assistant Green NZ: price and where to buy
- Home Assistant hardware: Green vs Yellow vs Pi 5 vs mini PC
- Setting up Home Assistant Green
- What Home Assistant can do in an NZ home
- Home Assistant Cloud: do you need it?
- When you don’t need a Home Assistant Green
- Common mistakes
What is Home Assistant Green?
Home Assistant is software that connects smart devices from hundreds of brands and runs your automations. The Green is the official plug-and-play hardware for it, made by Nabu Casa, the company behind Home Assistant, and it’s the starting point Home Assistant itself recommends.
| Spec | Home Assistant Green |
|---|---|
| Processor | Quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 at 1.8 GHz |
| Memory | 4 GB LPDDR4X |
| Storage | 32 GB eMMC, plus a microSD slot |
| Ports | Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, 2 × USB 2.0 |
| Power | 12 V DC, 1 A |
| Radios | None built in: add Connect ZBT-2 (Zigbee or Thread) or ZWA-2 (Z-Wave) |
| NZ price | From A$279 through Australian distributors, plus shipping |
One NZ gotcha: Home Assistant lists EU, US and UK plug adapters for the Green’s power supply. Check that your distributor supplies an AU/NZ plug, or use an RCM-marked 12 V, 1 A supply with the right barrel connector (5.5 × 2.1 mm).
Home Assistant Green NZ: price and where to buy
Big NZ chains don’t usually stock the Green. Home Assistant’s own site lists Australian distributors, including Apollo Automation, Oz Smart Things, Smart Guys and SmartHome.com.au, which had it from A$279 and ships to NZ in September 2026. NZ marketplace listings appear from time to time, usually supplied by the same Australian sellers, so compare the landed price.
| Item | Price (September 2026) | Needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Home Assistant Green | From A$279 plus shipping | Yes |
| Connect ZBT-2 radio | US$49 list | For Zigbee or Thread devices |
| Home Assistant Cloud | US$6.50 a month or US$65 a year | Optional |
| Sensors and plugs | Varies by brand | As you grow |
Home Assistant hardware: Green vs Yellow vs Pi 5 vs mini PC
The Green isn’t the only way to run Home Assistant. Use the chooser to see what fits, then check the table.
Home Assistant hardware chooser
Green, Yellow, Raspberry Pi 5, a mini PC or a virtual machine? Answer four questions to see which suits you and what else to buy.
Based on Home Assistant’s own guidance (September 2026): Green is its recommended starting point, Yellow production ended in October 2025 but it still gets updates, and Home Assistant OS supports the Raspberry Pi 4 and 5. Connect ZBT-2 lists at US$49 and runs Zigbee or Thread, one at a time.
| Option | Best for | Radios | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Assistant Green | Most people starting out | Add a USB radio | Home Assistant’s recommended start |
| Home Assistant Yellow | People who already own one | Built in | Production ended in October 2025; still updated |
| Home Assistant on Raspberry Pi 5 or 4 | Tinkerers with a spare Pi | Add a USB radio | Needs 2 GB RAM or more, a good card or SSD, the official power supply |
| Mini PC | Local voice, cameras, many add-ons | Add a USB radio | More power, but uses more electricity |
| Virtual machine | People running a home server | USB passthrough | Suits a Proxmox server you already have |
If you already own a Pi, our Raspberry Pi guide covers the hardware side. For everyone else, the Green saves the fiddly parts: no SD card to flash, no case or power supply to choose.
Setting up Home Assistant Green
- Connect the Green to your router with the Ethernet cable, then plug in the power.
- Wait a few minutes, then open the Home Assistant app or go to homeassistant.local:8123 in a browser on the same network.
- Create your account and set your home location, which drives sunrise, sunset and weather automations.
- Add the devices it finds on your network, such as smart plugs, printers and media players.
- Plug in a Connect ZBT-2 on its cable, away from the Green and any USB 3 devices, then pair your Zigbee devices.
- Set up automatic backups, to a home NAS or Home Assistant Cloud, before building lots of automations.
- Choose remote access: Home Assistant Cloud or your own VPN.
What Home Assistant can do in an NZ home
Heat pumps and heating
Home Assistant has integrations for major heat pump systems, including Mitsubishi’s MELCloud and Daikin. That means heating can follow real conditions: warm the lounge when the first phone heads home, or turn the heat pump off when a door has been open for five minutes. Portable heaters on smart plugs join the same schedules.
Home Assistant energy dashboard
The energy dashboard tracks grid use, solar, batteries and individual devices, and can apply your per-kWh price to show costs. Data comes from an energy monitor at the switchboard or from energy-monitoring plugs such as the Tapo P110, which our smart plug guide compares.
Security and cameras
Door sensors, cameras and locks can all trigger local alerts, and Home Assistant has a built-in alarm panel. Camera recording with object detection is heavier work that suits a mini PC; see our smart home security guide for the wider setup.
Voice control
Home Assistant’s own voice assistant, Assist, runs on the Green for basic commands. Alexa and Google Assistant can control Home Assistant devices too, most easily through Home Assistant Cloud.
Home Assistant Cloud: do you need it?
No, but it’s the easy option. Home Assistant Cloud, run by Nabu Casa, costs US$6.50 a month or US$65 a year for international customers. It gives you remote access without opening ports on your router, links Alexa and Google Assistant, adds text-to-speech, and funds the project’s development. The free alternative is a VPN you set up yourself, which takes more effort.
When you don’t need a Home Assistant Green
- You have fewer than ten devices from one or two brands.
- A recent smart speaker already runs your routines and Matter devices.
- You’d rather not update software or troubleshoot integrations every few months.
In those cases, a speaker hub or brand app is simpler.
Common mistakes
- Plugging the Zigbee radio straight into the Green’s USB port instead of using the cable; interference causes dropouts.
- Building automations for weeks without a backup.
- Buying Wi-Fi sensors for battery jobs; Zigbee and Thread sensors last far longer.
- Using any old 12 V adapter; check voltage, current, polarity and the RCM mark.
- Installing every update the day it arrives on a system your heating depends on; read the release notes first.
Our take
- If you want local control of mixed brands, the Green is the easiest way in, at about A$279 plus a US$49 radio.
- Already own a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5, or a home server? Use it instead.
- Planning cameras with object detection or fast local voice? Go straight to a mini PC.
- Skip Home Assistant entirely if a smart speaker already does everything you need.
Prices, distributors and product line-ups change often; everything here was checked in September 2026. Nicegear is independent, sells nothing and has no paid placements.
Sources and further reading
FAQs
Can you buy Home Assistant Green in NZ?
Yes, mainly through Australian distributors listed on Home Assistant’s website that ship to NZ, such as SmartHome.com.au. NZ marketplace listings appear occasionally, usually from the same sellers.
How much does Home Assistant Green cost in NZ?
It was from A$279 plus shipping in September 2026. Add US$49 for a Connect ZBT-2 if you want Zigbee or Thread devices.
Does Home Assistant Green have Zigbee built in?
No. The Green has no radios, so add a Connect ZBT-2 for Zigbee or Thread, or a Z-Wave stick built for the AU/NZ frequency.
Home Assistant Green vs Yellow: which should I buy?
Buy the Green. Yellow production ended in October 2025, although existing Yellows still get updates and don’t need replacing.
Can I run Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi instead?
Yes. Home Assistant OS supports the Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 with at least 2 GB of RAM, a good A2 microSD card or an SSD, and the official power supply.
Do I need Home Assistant Cloud?
No. It costs US$6.50 a month and makes remote access and Alexa or Google integration easy, but you can use a VPN instead for free.
Does Home Assistant work without the internet?
Yes. Automations run on the Green itself, so local devices keep working during an outage; only cloud-based integrations and remote access stop.
Can Home Assistant control my heat pump?
Usually, yes. There are integrations for major systems including Mitsubishi’s MELCloud and Daikin, so check your model’s Wi-Fi controller is supported before buying.
