Shelly vs Google Home
Shelly is a European alternative to Google Home: same consumer products use case, headquartered in Bulgaria and governed by EU GDPR, while Google Home (Google) is based in the United States.
By the EU Alternatives team Last updated
Bulgarian smart-home hardware with local Wi-Fi and Bluetooth relays, sensors, energy meters and plugs featuring open APIs, Matter support and Home Assistant integration.
- Jurisdiction
- EU / EEA
- Primary privacy law
- EU GDPR
- US CLOUD Act exposure
- No
- Open source
- No
- Free tier
- No
Ties speakers, cameras, thermostats and thousands of third-party devices into one app with voice control, and that breadth of device support is the hardest part to replace. The app is free, while Google Home Premium costs 10 dollars a month or 100 a year, doubling to 20 for the Gemini video tier. Alphabet runs it from the United States.
- Jurisdiction
- United States
- GDPR by default
- Requires DPA + TIA
- US CLOUD Act exposure
- Yes
Shelly vs Google Home at a glance
| Shelly | Google Home | |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bulgaria | United States |
| Data jurisdiction | EU / EEA | United States |
| Primary privacy law | EU GDPR | Requires DPA + transfer assessment |
| US CLOUD Act exposure | No | Yes |
| Best for | Teams that need consumer products built for European data-protection requirements | Teams already invested in the Google ecosystem |
Choose Shelly if…
- You want a provider governed by a European privacy regime
- GDPR or public-sector data-protection requirements apply to you
- You'd rather back the European tech ecosystem
Stick with Google Home if…
- You depend on integrations only available in the Google ecosystem
- Your organisation has no EU data-residency constraints
- Migration costs outweigh the jurisdiction benefits for now
About Shelly
Shelly is a Bulgarian smart-home brand producing Wi-Fi and Bluetooth relays, sensors, plugs and energy meters for residential and commercial automation. Designed and manufactured by Allterco Robotics in Sofia, Shelly devices are trusted by DIY enthusiasts, electricians and integrators worldwide for their compact form factor and open local API.
Every Shelly device exposes an HTTP and MQTT API, works without a cloud account, and integrates natively with Home Assistant, openHAB, Node-RED, Apple HomeKit (via bridges) and the Shelly Cloud app. The product family covers single-channel relays, dimmers, roller-shutter controllers, three-phase energy meters and multi-sensor devices.
Key features:
- Local HTTP and MQTT APIs that work fully offline without cloud lock-in
- Compact DIN and in-wall form factors fitting behind existing switches or in consumer units
- Home Assistant, openHAB and Node-RED integrations maintained by the community
- Energy monitoring with per-circuit kWh tracking on Shelly Pro and EM devices
- Over-the-air firmware updates via the Shelly app or local web UI
- Scripting support on Gen2 devices through embedded mJS for custom automations
- Matter support rolling out across Gen3 and Pro lines
Shelly is headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria, through Allterco Robotics EAD, a company listed on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange and Frankfurt Xetra. Devices meet EU CE, RoHS and RED directives, and the optional Shelly Cloud is hosted in the EU under GDPR.
Trusted by 3M+ users and thousands of professional installers across Europe, Shelly is the go-to choice for builders who want affordable, cloud-optional smart-home hardware.
Why choose Shelly over Google Home?
The decisive argument is data jurisdiction. Google Home is headquartered in the United States, which means personal data processed through it can be subject to non-EU legal regimes: the US CLOUD Act, FISA 702, or similar laws depending on the provider. After the 2020 Schrems II ruling, EU organisations must carry out a transfer impact assessment for every such data flow.
Shelly removes that overhead. As a Bulgaria-based provider, it operates under EU GDPR, and data stays inside the EU/EEA by default. For regulated sectors such as health, public administration, and finance, that's not a nice-to-have but a requirement. For everyone else, it's concentration-risk insurance: you avoid depending on a single jurisdiction that can change the rules without warning.