Systems Compared · The Hub
Every system.One honest scorecard.
Loxone, KNX, Control4, Crestron — and the security systems that go with them — compared by an installer who commissions them, not by a brochure. Every comparison on this page names the projects where the other system wins, because that is the only kind worth reading.
The Scorecard
Four platforms,six questions that decide it.
Ranges come from our own London installations and from quotes clients bring us. Home Assistant is deliberately absent — it is free and impressive, but it is a hobby for technical owners, not a product with a warranty (more in the FAQ below).
| Loxone | KNX | Control4 | Crestron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical London install | £8,000–£40,000 | Similar hardware, higher programming cost | £15,000–£60,000 | £30,000–£100,000+ |
| Ongoing subscription | None — app, remote access, updates free | None (open standard) | 4Sight annual fee for full remote access | None mandatory; dealer contracts common |
| Processing | Fully local (Miniserver) | Fully local (bus devices) | Local controller + cloud services | Local processor, cloud optional |
| Changes after handover | Config session, often remote | ETS programming at specialist rates | Dealer call-out per change | Back to the dealer holding the files |
| Who can take it over | Any certified partner — config lives in your house | Any KNX integrator, if documented | New dealer may rebuild from scratch | New integrator may rebuild from scratch |
| Strongest at | Automation-led homes: lighting, climate, energy, security | Open-standard specs, large multi-vendor projects | AV-led projects, huge driver library | Estates, multi-building, commercial-grade AV |
Head to Head
Pick the systemyou're weighing Loxone against.
Each page covers one rivalry in depth — the real costs, the lock-in mechanics, and an honest section on when the other platform is the right call.
The wired-first rival
KNX alternative
Same wired reliability, without ETS licensing and specialist day rates for every change. Covers migration and takeovers of existing KNX homes.
Read the comparisonThe subscription question
Control4 alternative
The 4Sight fee, dealer call-outs and project-file lock-in over a ten-year ownership window — and the AV-led projects where Control4 still wins.
Read the comparisonThe 2–3x budget multiple
Crestron alternative
Estate-grade automation at a family-home budget — and an honest list of the four project types where Crestron is genuinely the right answer.
Read the comparisonLoxone vs Control4 vs Crestron
The full three-way comparison: ten-year cost of ownership, offline behaviour, programming models and takeover risk.
KNX vs Loxone
Written from commissioning experience on both sides — we hold KNX/EIB expertise in-house and migrate KNX homes onto Loxone.
The honest Loxone guide
What the platform we standardised on does well, what it does not, and who it suits — weaknesses included.
Shortcut
Start from your situation,not from the brochures.
Building or renovating from scratch
Wiring decisions outlast every gadget. Start with the comparison that matters at first-fix stage, then plan the cabling.
Holding a Control4 or Crestron quote
Put the like-for-like Loxone number and the ten-year running costs next to it before you sign anything.
Living with a system that locks you in
Dealer gone quiet, files gone with them, or a KNX home that costs a day rate per change — takeovers are a steady part of our work.
Comparing security systems, not platforms
Alarms and CCTV are their own decision, whichever automation platform runs the house.
Security, Compared Too
Alarms and cameras getthe same treatment.
Whichever platform runs the house, the security layer is its own decision — and the same honest-comparison rules apply.
Ajax vs Ring vs Verisure
Professional wireless alarms against the DIY and contract-monitoring options, for London homes.
Wired vs wireless alarms
When cabling is worth the disruption and when wireless sensors are the smarter call — period property included.
Best CCTV for London homes
Hikvision, Ajax and the consumer brands compared on image quality, storage and what footage is actually usable.
How We Compare
Every comparison must name the projects where the other system wins.
That is the house rule, and it is why these pages exist. We are a Loxone certified partner — since 2014, over 200 installations — so we have a position and we declare it. The numbers come from our own installs and from real quotes clients bring us; the takeover judgements come from adopting orphaned systems, which is a steady part of our workload. Where we lack first-hand depth, we say so rather than pad the page.
Questions
Choosing a system,answered honestly.
What is the best smart home system in the UK?
There is no single best — there is a best fit per project. For automation-led family homes, Loxone usually wins on total cost of ownership, local processing and zero subscriptions. KNX earns its place on open-standard specifications and large multi-vendor projects. Control4 suits AV-led homes that need its unmatched driver library. Crestron is the answer at estate scale with bespoke interfaces and commercial-grade AV. We install Loxone because most residential briefs are automation-led — but the deep-dive pages on this hub argue each case honestly.
How do the systems compare on cost?
From our London projects and quotes clients bring us: Loxone runs £8,000–£40,000 for most homes (flats at the bottom, whole-house automation above), Control4 typically £15,000–£60,000 plus the annual 4Sight subscription, and Crestron £30,000–£100,000+ — usually two to three times the equivalent Loxone specification. KNX hardware is comparable to Loxone but ETS programming at specialist rates raises both the install and every change afterwards.
Is Home Assistant a serious alternative?
For a technical DIYer, genuinely yes — it is free, locally processed and impressively capable. But it is a hobby, not a product: you are the integrator, the support desk and the person debugging an automation at midnight. For a home your family relies on, professionally installed and warrantied systems exist for a reason. Some of our clients run Home Assistant alongside Loxone for dashboards and tinkering — that combination works well.
Which systems can a new installer take over?
This is the question nobody asks until they need it. Loxone configuration lives on the Miniserver in your house and the software is free, so any certified partner can carry on. A documented KNX installation is portable to any KNX integrator. Control4 and Crestron project files typically stay with the original dealer, and a new dealer may rebuild parts from scratch. Whatever you choose, insist on documentation at handover.
Why should we trust comparisons written by a Loxone installer?
Because we show our workings and name the cases where rivals win: Control4 for genuinely AV-led projects, Crestron at estate scale, KNX for open-standard specifications with a 30-year horizon. We have been a Loxone certified partner since 2014 with over 200 installations, we hold KNX/EIB expertise in-house, and takeovers of other platforms are a steady part of our workload — the comparisons come from commissioning experience, not brochures.
Still weighing it up? Bring us the shortlist.
Free survey across London and the Home Counties. We'll put a like-for-like Loxone specification next to whatever you've been quoted — and if another system fits your project better, we'll tell you which one and why.