Dear fellows in this community,
Weâre now recruiting early participants for the upcoming eWeLink CUBE V0.4 Beta, expected to start the first round of testing on June 18. This will be the fourth release of the self-hosted smart home platform, now available as a standalone image that runs on your own hardware.
As some of you following eWeLink and SONOFF may already know, eWeLink CUBE was originally integrated into the SONOFF iHost device, offering a simplified and local-first solution for managing smart home devices without relying on the cloud. Over the past year, weâve been iterating on CUBE with regular monthly updates, gradually expanding its capabilities and improving usability.
Along the way, weâve received a great deal of valuable feedback from users and developers, and we truly appreciate it. One of the most frequent requests was:
âCan I run eWeLink CUBE on my existing hardware â like a Raspberry Pi, single-board computer, NAS, or virtual machine â without buying a new device?â
In response, we introduced V0.1, V0.2, and V0.3 to explore this path. With V0.4, weâve made significant progress in porting many of the core features already available on iHost to this standalone version, making it easier for more users to manage their smart home setups locally â using hardware they already have.
This release supports deployment on:
- Raspberry Pi 4 or Pi 5, with a minimum of 4GB RAM (8GB recommended for optimal performance)
- Virtual machines (VMs) with x86_64 architecture, and at least 6GB RAM allocated
- Select NAS setups
V0.4 builds on the previous standalone versions by bringing in more of the features already available on the iHost version. It is designed to offer a practical and accessible solution for users who want to manage their smart home locally using existing hardware â with minimal setup, GUI guided configuration, and no steep learning curve.
Whatâs Included in V0.4 (Standalone Image)
Below is a list of key features available in this release:
| No. | Feature | Virtual Machine | Raspberry Pi (4B/5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zigbee Cluster Support |  (Zigbee dongle needed) |
(Zigbee dongle needed) |
1. Supported Zigbee dongles: - Sonoff ZBDongle-E (recommended) - Others listed by developer @darkxst 2. Supported Zigbee clusters: cube-web.ewelink.cc |
| 2 | Matter Hub | |
|
Requires target platform with Bluetooth capability |
| 3 | Matter Bridge | |
|
*Under certification testing, may encounter issues on certain Matter fabrics. Supported Matter clusters: - On/Off Plug-in Unit - Dimmable Light - Color Temperature Light - Occupancy Sensor - Contact Sensor - Humidity Sensor - Temperature Sensor - Generic Switch - Thermostat - Window Covering |
| 4 | Remote Access |  |
|
Implemented via PWA (Progressive Web App). Chrome and Safari are recommended. |
| 5 | Push Notifications | |
|
Only available via eWeLink CUBE CAST Dashboard |
| 6 | CAST Dashboards | |
|
|
| 7 | Docker & Add-ons | |
|
Stored locally on the target platform |
| 8 | Backup / Restore | |
|
|
| 9 | Scenes (Smart / Manual) | |
|
|
| 10 | Groups / Rooms | |
|
|
| 11 | Firmware OTA | |
|
Supports OTA for both CUBE and Zigbee sub-devices |
| 12 | Turbo Mode (Zigbee) | |
|
Important Notice Before You Join
This is a beta version under active development. By joining this test, you acknowledge and accept the following potential risks:
- Some features may be incomplete or unstable
- Certain devices may not function correctly or be incompatible
- Unexpected crashes or boot issues may occur depending on your setup
- Limited support will be provided during the testing phase
We recommend installing V0.4 on non-production hardware and only if you are comfortable with basic troubleshooting and system recovery.
How to Join the Beta
- Fill out the short 2-minute survey
Help us understand your setup and testing preferences: Start the survey. - Request to join our Discord server
After completing the survey, please request access to our private Discord server.
Weâll review your application and approve eligible testers. Youâll gain access to exclusive beta channels where weâll share the CUBEOS v0.4 image and setup instructions.
If youâre not selected this time, we truly appreciate your patience â and rest assured, more users will be invited as the testing expands.
- Install the system
Follow our installation guide to flash the image to your target platforms. - Report issues or ask questions
Youâre welcome to post in the discussion channels on Discord or reach out directly to our beta support team â weâll do our best to assist you throughout the testing period.
Weâll also provide guidance on how to submit issues and log files to help us identify and resolve problems more efficiently.
Thank you for helping us build a better local smart home platform.
We look forward to your feedback and insights to further improve eWeLink CUBE.
