head to head · open source
Browser Use vs homeThing
Browser Use has 115,022 GitHub stars, 12,661 forks, 421 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. homeThing has 546 stars, 42 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped 23 days ago. Browser Use leads on adoption by 20,966% (115,022 vs 546 stars). Browser Use is written in Python under MIT; homeThing is written in C++ under GPL-3.0. Browser Use has attracted 11% as many forks as stars, homeThing 8%. Browser Use was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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
| Browser Use | homeThing | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 115K | ★ 546 |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-15 | 2026-08-27 |
| Forks | ⑂ 13K | ⑂ 42 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Browser Use if
- You weight community size — 115K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- 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 Browser Use
Browser Use is an open source Python library and hosted platform that enables AI agents to control web browsers programmatically. It lives in the AI agent and browser automation ecosystem, built on Playwright and designed to let LLMs interact with websites as a human would—clicking, filling forms, solving CAPTCHAs, and navigating dynamic interfaces. The project provides three deployment paths: a fully hosted cloud service, a command line interface for existing agents, and a local Python library for custom integrations.
read the full Browser Use 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 Browser Use or homeThing more popular?
Browser Use has 115,022 GitHub stars and homeThing has 546. Browser Use has the larger community by that measure.
Are Browser Use and homeThing free?
Both are open source. Browser Use is licensed under MIT and homeThing under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Browser Use and homeThing?
Browser Use is written in Python 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, Browser Use or homeThing?
Choose Browser Use if you want the larger community (115,022 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose homeThing if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.