head to head · open source
android vs better_thermostat
android has 3,903 GitHub stars, 1,067 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped yesterday. better_thermostat has 1,484 stars, 174 forks, 56 open issues and last shipped 8 days ago. android leads on adoption by 163% (3,903 vs 1,484 stars). android is written in Kotlin under Apache-2.0; better_thermostat is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. android has attracted 27% as many forks as stars, better_thermostat 12%. android was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (hacktoberfest, home-assistant, home-automation), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| android | better_thermostat | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.9K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Kotlin | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-09-12 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.1K | ⑂ 174 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick android if
- You weight community size — 3.9K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Kotlin
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick better_thermostat if
- You want the better_thermostat feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and better_thermostat fits your workflow better
About android
The Home Assistant Companion for Android is the official Android application for Home Assistant, an open source home automation platform. It is written in Kotlin, released under the Apache 2.0 license, and distributed as an open source app for Android devices. The project sits inside the Home Assistant ecosystem and connects a mobile client to a user's Home Assistant instance.
read the full android overview →
About better_thermostat
Better Thermostat is a free, open source custom component for Home Assistant that adds smart climate control to thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs), and it is aimed at home automation users who want accurate, automated room heating without writing their own automations.
read the full better_thermostat overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is android or better_thermostat more popular?
android has 3,903 GitHub stars and better_thermostat has 1,484. android has the larger community by that measure.
Are android and better_thermostat free?
Both are open source. android is licensed under Apache-2.0 and better_thermostat under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between android and better_thermostat?
android is written in Kotlin and better_thermostat in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, android or better_thermostat?
Choose android if you want the larger community (3,903 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose better_thermostat if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.