Home Assistant Is Replacing HACS - Here’s What’s Really Happening

Home Assistant is bringing HACS (Home Assistant Community Store) directly into Core, replacing the standalone HACS integration with a new built-in Marketplace. But what does this actually mean for your smart home, and should existing HACS users be concerned? The change has already sparked questions about automatic migration, paid integrations, community developed software and whether people running Home Assistant Container (Docker) will be affected. In this video, I'll explain what's actually happening to HACS, what the developers have confirmed so far, and what remains uncertain ahead of the expected Home Assistant 2026.11 release. ℹ️ What's covered in this video Why Home Assistant is bringing HACS into Core What the new Home Assistant Marketplace looks like What happens to your existing HACS integrations and custom repositories The changes to GitHub authentication and integration updates The rumours surrounding paid integrations What Marketplace means for Home Assistant Container and Docker users Security considerations when installing community integrations Where Marketplace could be heading in the future I've also included screenshots from the original development work so you can see what's being built. ⚠️ At the time of recording, Marketplace hasn't been released as part of a stable Home Assistant update, so I haven't been able to test the migration myself. Some details may change before release. ✨Useful links Home Assistant Core Marketplace pull request: https://github.com/home-assistant/cor... Home Assistant: https://www.home-assistant.io/ HACS: https://www.hacs.xyz/ What do you think about HACS becoming part of Home Assistant? Is this a welcome change, or do you have concerns about where Marketplace might be heading? Let me know in the comments. If you found this video useful, why not subscribe to Byte of Geek for more Home Assistant updates, practical smart home guides and reviews? Support my work and become a channel member🤝 :    / @byteofgeek   Merch Shop 🛍️: https://shop.byteofgeek.com Smart Devices I Use✨: https://www.byteofgeek.com/smart-home... Buy Me a Coffee 🍵: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/byteofgeek Watch Next :    • Home Assistant - Smart Home and Automation   My Website 🌐: https://www.byteofgeek.com Discord:   / discord   Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/byteofgeek.b... Instagram:   / byteofgeek   Facebook:   / byteofgeek   Twitter:   / byteofgeek   ✨ About Byte of Geek Byte of Geek is your go-to channel for Home Assistant, smart home technology, and DIY automation. Subscribe for tutorials, setup guides, and reviews that help you build a smarter, more connected home. #HomeAssistant #HACS #SmartHome