Should i buy LM4 or Loxone?

[jetsetter]

As I have use both products (LM for a couple of years and Loxone for a couple of months just to test it), I can give you some pros & cons:

Loxone:
pros:

• stable and fast (no need to script, needs a kind of PLC configuration knowledge)
  
• quick way to setup and get live
  
• relative slightly entry lower priced (depending on configuration for example 1-w, modbus, RS-232 etc are all add-on modules)
  
• complete set of ready-to-use blocks (ready controllers for alarm, PV, pool, ip doorphone etc)
  
• responsive and functional menu driven visualization
  

cons:

• very closed architecture (you cannot add or alter anything on your own) and proprietary peripheral products (like "tree", "Air" etc)
  
• support and future development kind biased towards their proprietary peripherals
  
• too fixed and inflexible to changes (no way to change appearance of controls etc)
  
• no graphical plan view visualization (there was a 3rd party once but I don't know if it was discontinued or not)
  
• not quite KNX friendly (for example, you cannot control EIB blinds the way you control their own bus etc)
  

LM:
pros:

• stable and fast (depending on scripting knowledge and quality of the integrator)
  
• very open and flexible architecture
  
• relative fast ootb graphical plan view visualization
  
• no proprietary peripheral products to spend development effort
  
• very extensive standard support
  
• very, VERY good support and help through this forum (should have write this first...)
  

cons:

• requires some time and programming effort to understand and utilize the full potential of a scripting-based platform
  
• except LUA programming, additional JavaScript is still required to get further functionality like long press detection etc (this could be moved in the above pros list for good programmers though as it gives extra flexibility...)
  
• too many open standard support fronts (1-w, zwave, modbus, BLE etc) seems to fragment the development resources and delay the release of new firmwares or support of several crucial things (like onboard IR or standard VOIP doorphone systems support - actually those two were among my top priorities when I engaged with LM4 some 2 years ago)
  
• the touch visualization is not very easy to customize and modify (at least I don't know how to group controls to levels or rooms). Mosaic would be filling this gap but still missing crucial things (let's hope that the V2 will evolve)
  

So even as a non-programmer, I would definitely choose LM in general, especially for larger or complex integration projects and I hope the LM team will release soon some more ready-to-use modules, widgets and apps for most common missing things (IP doorphone please...), so it would be easier preferable as a one-stop-shop also for smaller or plug-and-play type of projects.


Just my honest opinion.
BR

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I had consider buying the loxone too, but after researching i got the LM.

My installation initially, couple of years ago, was a single building automation but it has grown since then and now i have four buildings.
I did like the fact that i had a single LM device that grown as my needs grown and never needed to use anything else.

Will my little knowledge on programming, I have managed to integrate various systems without any problem. Some of them are the Paradox alarm system, IP Doorphones, Security Cameras, Yamaha AV devices, Infocus projectors, HAVAC, and even the elevators.

Last but not least is the amazing support i had from the company and the community... simply one of the best, never had any problem that took more than a couple of hours to solve.

My two cents is go for the LM

gtsamis, are you controlling the Paradox alarm system through a 3rd party GW (Tokka)?
Can you please share some knowledge on how you deal with IP doorphones?
Thank you in advance.