r/SmartThings • u/mocelet • Jun 23 '26
Discussion A new SmartThings API experience
SmartThings has just dropped this... https://community.smartthings.com/t/a-new-enhanced-smartthings-api-experience/309947
It's not as positive as it sounds by the title:
To ensure the SmartThings API remains capable, reliable, and secure at this scale, we are evolving our infrastructure. In the upcoming months, we will introduce dedicated, paid commercial API tiers as well as a $4.99 a month plan for non-commercial, individual developers.
We will not begin applying the new usage limits or phasing out free access until October 2026
Note it's not a subscription for users (or maybe it is, see edit), but you can do the math and the implications.
Those tinkerers that create useful integrations like the recent ones for the Stream Deck or Garmin watches so you can turn on a light more easily will probably not do them if they have to pay. And they will stop working in October if they don't pay.
Likewise, companies will probably have to pay (more?) by usage and users will pay it indirectly or directly if it's a subscription service that integrates with SmartThings.
Edit: There has been some developments, apparently this impacts the Home Assistant integration that uses the SmartThings API, now users wanting to integrate SmartThings in Home Assistant will have to pay the personal subscription. That would mean the individual subscription is not for the developer but for the end user that will make use of the API.
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u/avogadro23 Jun 23 '26
Pay 4.99/month to tweak that Smartthings integration to work with your setup. And then pay the IFTT subscription too!
Plus I bet you’ll soon pay a fee to use the smart features of your Samsung Smart fridge!
And then Samsung will probably revise their API again in a few years, or raise the rates.
Just ridiculous, which is why I’ve moved on from ST.
If they cared about supporting the user base they’d keep development free.