head to head · open source
android vs homeThing
android has 3,903 GitHub stars, 1,067 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped yesterday. homeThing has 546 stars, 42 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped 24 days ago. android leads on adoption by 615% (3,903 vs 546 stars). android is written in Kotlin under Apache-2.0; homeThing is written in C++ under GPL-3.0. android has attracted 27% as many forks as stars, homeThing 8%. android was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (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 | homeThing | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.9K | ★ 546 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Kotlin | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-08-27 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.1K | ⑂ 42 |
| 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 homeThing if
- You want the homeThing feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and homeThing 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 homeThing
homeThing is a collection of open source hardware and software — a 3D printable ESP32 remote, an ESPHome menu system, and components for controlling Home Assistant devices — for makers and Home Assistant users who want a battery powered physical remote with a screen and scroll wheel instead of a touch screen.
read the full homeThing overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is android or homeThing more popular?
android has 3,903 GitHub stars and homeThing has 546. android has the larger community by that measure.
Are android and homeThing free?
Both are open source. android is licensed under Apache-2.0 and homeThing under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between android and homeThing?
android is written in Kotlin and homeThing in C++. 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 homeThing?
Choose android if you want the larger community (3,903 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose homeThing if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.