Samsung published the details of its new SmartThings API pricing on 30 October 2026. From 4 November, developers and companies that call the SmartThings cloud API directly move to paid plans. The SmartThings app, routines and local hub integrations stay free.

Who pays

There are two groups. Business partners get a Business Plan priced by usage volume and agreed with SmartThings directly. Samsung's examples are short-term rental platforms, energy management services and other businesses built on the API. Individual developers who registered their own OAuth API Access Apps to feed custom dashboards, external automation platforms or scripts get a Developer Plan.

The Developer Plan is a flat monthly fee per developer account. It covers up to 100,000 cloud API calls a month and up to 10 active app installs. One subscription can serve several homes and hubs, as long as the combined traffic stays inside those limits. The 30 October post gives no price. When SmartThings first announced the change in June, it mentioned a $4.99 monthly plan for individual developers. The Developer Plan will also launch only in some countries, and Samsung has not said which.

Paying subscribers get Server-Sent Events (SSE), a streaming connection that pushes device updates so integrations no longer have to poll for them. A new dashboard in the Developer Center tracks calls and installs against the quotas. Webhook delivery works as before.

What stays free

  • The SmartThings mobile app, including control of Works with SmartThings and Matter devices.
  • Routines, automations and scenes set up in the app.
  • Edge drivers, device profiles and hub integrations that run locally.
  • Works with SmartThings certification through the test suite, and certification for Matter devices.

Rules still work from the CLI, personal access tokens (PATs), the Advanced Web App and the mobile app, but running Rules through OAuth needs a paid plan. The CLI stays free for driver packaging, device profiles and certification. Only the commands that create and manage cloud API Access Apps need a plan. Samsung describes PATs as a tool for temporary testing and small scripts, not for long-running integrations, and says it will announce any changes to token rules later.

The dates

  • Until 3 November: free access, as today.
  • 4 November to 15 December: owners who have not picked a plan cannot create new apps or edit existing ones. Installed integrations keep working.
  • From 15 December: API access for apps without a paid plan may be limited, paused or shut off. Samsung says active keys will be deactivated and calls stopped at the gateway, which also hits anyone the app was shared with.

These dates cover all API Access Apps, including those owned by developers in countries where the Developer Plan will not be offered at launch. Samsung adds that plan details, prices and availability may still change.

For a home user the question is simple: does anything in the setup depend on a third-party OAuth app linked to SmartThings, such as a self-built dashboard or a bridge to another automation platform? If so, check it before 15 December. Anything that runs inside the app or locally on the hub is not affected.