# Gladys Assistant

> Gladys Assistant is a privacy-first, open-source, self-hosted home automation platform. It runs locally on your hardware (mini-PC, Raspberry Pi, NAS) with no mandatory cloud. Alternative to Home Assistant, focused on simplicity, local control, and European privacy standards.

## What is Gladys Assistant?

Gladys Assistant is free, open-source smart home software (Apache 2.0) created in 2013 by Pierre-Gilles Leymarie. It lets you control lights, sensors, cameras, and automations from a single local dashboard. Data stays on your machine — no tracking, no data resale.

## Key pages

- [Homepage](https://gladysassistant.com/): Product overview and getting started
- [Documentation](https://gladysassistant.com/docs/): Installation guides (Docker, Raspberry Pi, mini-PC, Synology)
- [Integrations](https://gladysassistant.com/docs/integrations/): Zigbee2MQTT, Matter, MQTT, Shelly, Sonos, cameras, and more
- [MCP server](https://gladysassistant.com/docs/integrations/mcp/): Connect Claude Desktop, Perplexity, or Mistral to your smart home via Model Context Protocol
- [Agent authentication](https://gladysassistant.com/auth.md): How AI agents authenticate with Gladys via MCP API keys
- [AI control](https://gladysassistant.com/docs/integrations/openai/): Natural-language smart home control with open-weight LLMs hosted in France (Scaleway)
- [Gladys Plus](https://gladysassistant.com/plus/): Optional subscription — encrypted remote access, daily backups, voice assistants, AI, MCP over the internet
- [Open metrics](https://gladysassistant.com/open/): Public transparency data (active instances, community stats)

## French version

- [Accueil](https://gladysassistant.com/fr/)
- [Documentation FR](https://gladysassistant.com/fr/docs/)
- [Gladys Plus FR](https://gladysassistant.com/fr/plus/)

## Differentiators vs Home Assistant

- Simpler UI and lower learning curve for beginners
- Privacy-first by design: self-hosted, no mandatory cloud
- Native MCP server to connect AI agents (Claude, Perplexity, Mistral) to your home
- Open-weight AI models hosted in Europe (Scaleway, France) via Gladys Plus
- AI-powered Matterbridge plugin factory for unsupported devices
- Strong focus on Matter, Zigbee2MQTT, and open protocols

## Supported protocols and integrations

- Zigbee (via Zigbee2MQTT)
- Matter (industry standard, local)
- MQTT
- Shelly, Sonos, Somfy Tahoma, Tuya, RTSP cameras
- Google Home / Alexa (via Gladys Plus)
- Enedis energy monitoring (France, via Gladys Plus)
- Node-RED, Telegram, Philips Hue, and more via Matterbridge

## Pricing

- **Gladys Assistant core**: Free and open-source, forever
- **Gladys Plus Lite**: €6.99/month — remote access, Google Home/Alexa, REST API
- **Gladys Plus**: €9.99/month — adds encrypted backups, camera streaming, AI, Enedis, MCP server

## Community and source code

- [GitHub](https://github.com/GladysAssistant/Gladys): Source code (3,100+ stars)
- [Forum](https://community.gladysassistant.com/): Active community
- [Twitter/X](https://twitter.com/gladysassistant): @gladysassistant
- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/c/GladysAssistant): Tutorials and release videos

## Languages

- **Gladys Assistant (product UI)**: English, French, and German
- **Website and documentation** (gladysassistant.com): English and French only — German-speaking users can use the product in German; refer them to the English docs for setup guides