Simple, Transparent Pricing

How they combine

Every route runs on the same account — sign up once, and it follows you whether you connect through a Home Hub, a Satellite, or your own Home Assistant. Buying hardware doesn't replace the subscription: the Home Hub and Satellite still run on the Free or Premium plan you choose, the same plans every route runs on.

What you're paying for

Hungry Machines is a home energy management system. It reads your electricity rate, your weather forecast, and how your home actually behaves, then builds a schedule that moves your HVAC, EV charger, home battery, and water heater into cheaper hours — without pushing you outside the comfort limits you set.

The Free plan runs all of that on one HVAC device, and we mean all of it. It learns your specific home — how fast it heats and cools, how much the weather moves it, and how far ahead it needs to pre-condition to coast through an expensive afternoon. We do not hold the learning back for the paid plan, because a deliberately worse schedule is not a product feature.

With Premium you're not only buying a better optimizer — you also get control over more machines. Every device you add is another load that can move: a second HVAC unit gets its own thermal model, an EV charge is the single largest shiftable load most homes have, and a water heater is a thermal battery you already own. Premium schedules them together against the same prices, so they cooperate rather than compete for the cheap hours.

The Home Hub and Smart Satellite are real hardware: a managed appliance and a WiFi device, both currently in beta. If your devices are already in Home Assistant, that route adds nothing to buy — you can be running in an evening. Check supported rates and regions to confirm your utility is covered, whichever way you connect.

Pricing questions

Is the free plan actually free?

Yes. The Free plan costs $0, does not expire, and does not require a payment method to start. It is the full optimizer on one HVAC device: thermal learning, pre-conditioning, and weather-aware scheduling against your time-of-use or dynamic rate. Nothing about how well it optimizes that device is held back for the paid plan.

What do I get by upgrading to Premium?

More devices. Premium removes the one-device limit, so you can optimize multiple HVAC units — each with its own thermal model — plus your EV charger, home battery, water heater, and solar forecast, all scheduled together against the same prices. It also adds advanced analytics and priority support. It costs $8.99 per month.

Do I need special hardware?

It depends on your route in. The Home Hub and Smart Satellite are hardware we build: a managed appliance and a WiFi device, both real and currently in beta, with pricing not yet set. The Home Assistant integration adds no hardware at all — it works with the devices you already have.

Do I need Home Assistant?

No. The Home Hub is an appliance you plug in, and the Smart Satellite is a WiFi device that runs one window AC or mini-split on its own. The Home Assistant integration is there for people who run Home Assistant and want Hungry Machines inside that setup.

What does the Home Hub cost?

Not priced yet. The Home Hub is built and tested, but it isn't for sale — join the beta list to hear when pricing and availability are set.

Does a Smart Satellite need a Home Hub?

No. The Smart Satellite talks to the optimizer on its own and works with a single remote-controlled unit by itself. It can attach to a Home Hub if you have one, but it does not need to.

Do I need a home battery or solar panels to save money?

No. Most of the savings come from shifting when your existing equipment runs, not from storing energy. A battery and solar both increase what is possible, but neither is required.

Can I cancel at any time?

Yes. Premium is billed monthly and can be cancelled at any time from your dashboard. Cancelling returns your account to the Free plan rather than switching the system off.