head to head · open source
android vs pyatv
android has 3,903 GitHub stars, 1,067 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped yesterday. pyatv has 1,175 stars, 146 forks, 258 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. android leads on adoption by 232% (3,903 vs 1,175 stars). android is written in Kotlin under Apache-2.0; pyatv is written in Python under MIT. android has attracted 27% as many forks as stars, pyatv 12%. android was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (hacktoberfest, 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 | pyatv | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.9K | ★ 1.2K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Kotlin | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-08-14 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.1K | ⑂ 146 |
| 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 pyatv if
- You want the pyatv feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and pyatv 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 pyatv
pyatv is an asyncio Python client library, distributed on PyPI under the MIT licence, that lets developers and home automation builders control Apple TV, HomePod, AirPort Express, and other AirPlay and RAOP receivers from their own code and scripts.
read the full pyatv overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is android or pyatv more popular?
android has 3,903 GitHub stars and pyatv has 1,175. android has the larger community by that measure.
Are android and pyatv free?
Both are open source. android is licensed under Apache-2.0 and pyatv under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between android and pyatv?
android is written in Kotlin and pyatv 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 pyatv?
Choose android if you want the larger community (3,903 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose pyatv if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.