Samsung’s SmartThings platform is moving ahead with its shift to paid cloud API access, and that change now has a firm cutoff date that matters a lot for Home Assistant users. Free API access runs through November 3, and starting November 4, accounts without a paid plan can no longer create or edit API apps. Starting December 15, SmartThings says cloud API access without a plan may be “limited, paused, or discontinued,” and that active API keys on those accounts will be deactivated. Home Assistant’s own documentation already warns that its SmartThings connector will require a paid SmartThings API plan.
What changes on November 4 and December 15
SmartThings is keeping its cloud API open and free through November 3. During that window, developers and tinkerers can still create and manage OAuth API Access Apps the way they always have, with no added fees and no plan required.
That changes starting November 4. From that date until December 15, any SmartThings account that does not have a paid plan can no longer create or edit API apps. Apps that are already installed keep working during this period, so automations do not break right away.
The hard line comes on December 15. SmartThings says that starting on that date, access to the cloud API “may be limited, paused, or discontinued” for accounts that are not on a plan. Active API keys tied to those accounts will be deactivated, and automated calls from those apps, as well as calls from their downstream users, will be paused. If an app was shared with other SmartThings locations, those other users could be affected too, since the upstream API key would no longer work.
How the new SmartThings API plans work
The shift to paid access is centered on two offerings: a Developer Plan and a Business Plan. The Developer Plan is aimed at individuals using OAuth API Access Apps and is billed as a flat monthly rate per developer account. That plan includes up to 100,000 cloud API calls each month and supports up to 10 active app installs.
Samsung says the Developer Plan will not be available everywhere at launch. It will be limited to certain countries, with the supported list to be shared when the plans go live. That means some users may not be able to sign up right away, even if they are willing to pay.
For larger partners, SmartThings is offering a Business Plan that is priced by usage tier. This option is targeted at business customers rather than hobbyists or individual developers. The October 30 announcement does not list exact pricing for either plan.
What stays free in SmartThings
While the cloud API is moving behind paid plans, Samsung is drawing a clear line between that and the normal consumer experience in the SmartThings app. The company says the SmartThings mobile app, routines and automations created inside the app, local Edge drivers, device profiles, and hub-connected devices are not affected by the new pricing. Works with SmartThings certification also stays free.
That means someone who only uses SmartThings through the official app, with devices paired to a SmartThings hub and configured using built-in routines, should not see a change from this policy. Edge drivers that run locally on the hub do not depend on the paid cloud API, so they keep working without any plan.
Personal access tokens are also still available, but Samsung describes them as being intended for temporary testing and lightweight scripts. The company signals that more changes could come there, saying that any future policy updates around tokens will be announced. For heavier or ongoing use of the SmartThings cloud, the expectation is that users move to one of the paid API plans instead of relying on free tokens.
What this means for Home Assistant users
Home Assistant users who link their system to SmartThings through Home Assistant’s built-in SmartThings connector are directly affected by this shift. The Open Home Foundation, which backs Home Assistant, said in a June 2026 newsletter that use of the Home Assistant connector will fall under Samsung’s new “personal plans”. Samsung’s October 30 post describes its plan for individual developers as the Developer Plan.
Samsung’s October 30 post does not name Home Assistant. Home Assistant’s SmartThings connector is cloud-based, so it relies on the same SmartThings cloud API that the new plans cover. Samsung’s post does not explain how the plans apply to apps like Home Assistant’s, so check the Home Assistant documentation for setup steps once the plans launch.
Anyone who relies on SmartThings to bridge devices into Home Assistant should treat December 15 as a real cutoff and not just a soft warning.
Options for Home Assistant users before the December 15 cutoff
Home Assistant users have two main paths before the SmartThings API deadline: pay for SmartThings access, or move devices away from the SmartThings cloud. The first option is to subscribe to the SmartThings Developer Plan once it is available in their country. SmartThings says the November 4 and December 15 dates apply even to developers in countries where the Developer Plan is not available, so users outside the launch countries could lose cloud API access before they are able to subscribe. For someone with a single Home Assistant setup and a moderate number of devices going through SmartThings, the 100,000 monthly API calls and 10 active app installs may be enough, but the exact fit depends on how much traffic their system generates.
The second option is to cut out the SmartThings cloud middle layer and connect devices directly to Home Assistant. For Zigbee and Z-Wave gear that is paired to a SmartThings hub, that means re-pairing each device to a Zigbee or Z-Wave radio that is attached to the Home Assistant system instead. This takes some work, since every device needs to be excluded from SmartThings and then included on the new radio, and automations need to be rebuilt on the Home Assistant side.
Matter devices offer a more flexible route, because those can be added to more than one controller at the same time. A Matter bulb or plug that talks to SmartThings can also be joined to Home Assistant without dropping the SmartThings link. That makes it easier to shift control over time, since users can test Home Assistant control while still keeping the SmartThings app as a backup. Between the new paid SmartThings plans and the multi-controller design of Matter, Home Assistant users have to decide whether to keep paying for a SmartThings bridge or invest time in moving their smart home to more direct connections.
View the original press release.
