Global Wave Integration · Los Angeles
Crestron vs Josh.ai: The Complete Comparison
19 years. 400+ luxury residences. 33 industry awards.
Overview
Crestron and Josh.ai serve different roles in a smart home — and the best answer is often both. Here’s how GWI evaluates each platform and when we recommend one, the other, or a combination.
19 Years in Los Angeles
GWI has been engineering luxury systems since 2007.
400+ Residences
Completed across Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, and beyond.
33 Awards
Industry recognition for design, installation, and innovation excellence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Crestron and Josh.ai?
Crestron is a whole-home automation platform — it controls lighting, climate, AV, shading, and security through a unified interface. Josh.ai is a professional AI voice assistant — it provides voice control over your smart home. They’re not competitors; they’re complementary. GWI installs both together in many luxury homes, using Crestron as the control backbone and Josh.ai as the voice layer.
Can Josh.ai replace Crestron?
No. Josh.ai doesn’t program or manage the underlying automation — it interfaces with existing systems like Crestron, Savant, and Lutron to provide voice control. Think of Josh.ai as the voice of your Crestron system, not a replacement for it.
Why choose Josh.ai over Alexa or Google Home for a luxury smart home?
Josh.ai is built specifically for professional smart home installations. Unlike consumer voice assistants, Josh.ai processes all commands locally (no cloud, no data collection), integrates directly with Crestron and Savant at the professional level, and understands complex multi-room commands. It’s the voice assistant that belongs in a luxury home.
How much does adding Josh.ai to a Crestron home cost?
Josh.ai hardware runs $600–1,200 per device. Integration with an existing Crestron system typically requires $2,000–5,000 in programming and configuration. For a whole-home installation, expect $8,000–20,000+ including hardware and integration. GWI provides detailed proposals based on your home size and current system.