head to head · open source
android vs homeThing
android has 4,021 GitHub stars, 1,132 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. homeThing has 549 stars, 42 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped 11 days ago. android leads on adoption by 632% (4,021 vs 549 stars). android is written in Kotlin under Apache-2.0; homeThing is written in C++ under GPL-3.0. android has attracted 28% 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 | ★ 4.0K | ★ 549 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Kotlin | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-10-25 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.1K | ⑂ 42 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick android if
- You weight community size — 4.0K 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
Home Assistant Companion for Android Welcome to the Home Assistant Companion for Android ! This is the official Android app for Home Assistant, a powerful open source home automation platform. Join us in building an app used by millions of users worldwide. Features Control Your Smart Home : Seamlessly interact with your Home Assistant instance. Native Android Experience : Leverage Android specific features like widgets, notifications, and location tracking. Customizable : Tailor the app to your needs with themes, dashboards, and more. Open Source : Contribute to a project that empowers users to take control of…
read the full android overview →
About homeThing
homeThing Remote ⚙️ (esphome remote) homeThing is a collection of software and hardware for creating universal remotes that control smart home devices. There are 3 components that belong to homeThing: the case and circuit board, the menu system code, and the code to control smart home devices Hardware specific for smart home remotes that's open source, customizable, and 3D printable. Menu system for ESP32 devices focused on controlling smart home devices similar to an iPod's menu. ESPHome Components for controlling Home Assistant devices. Check out the next generation homeThing C6 Learn More Get Started Learn…
read the full homeThing overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is android or homeThing more popular?
android has 4,021 GitHub stars and homeThing has 549. 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 (4,021 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.