Samsung has confirmed that it will soon start charging for access to its SmartThings developer tools. The new pricing plan kicks off in October and is mainly aimed at software developers and business partners.
Under the new system, individual developers who are not working on commercial projects will have to pay $5 each month for Samsung SmartThings API access. This change does not affect everyday users who manage their smart home devices through the official SmartThings app. But it does impact people who use outside platforms, such as Home Assistant, to control Samsung-compatible gadgets.
The decision has upset some members of the smart home community. Paulus Schoutsen, who started the Home Assistant project, expressed disappointment in a recent statement. He said users should not have to pay another fee just to access a system that was once open.
Samsung has not been clear about what benefits the new fee will bring. The company said the extra money will help it build better features for partners and users. It also mentioned a new developer portal that will offer helpful data for coding. But no specific details have been shared yet.
Access to the SmartThings API will remain free until October. After that, developers will need to sign up for the paid plan. Regular app users will not see any changes or extra costs.