head to head · open source
Browser Use vs IRremoteESP8266
Browser Use has 114,959 GitHub stars, 12,651 forks, 421 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. IRremoteESP8266 has 3,600 stars, 933 forks, 105 open issues and last shipped 26 days ago. Browser Use leads on adoption by 3,093% (114,959 vs 3,600 stars). Browser Use is written in Python under MIT; IRremoteESP8266 is written in C++ under LGPL-2.1. Browser Use has attracted 11% as many forks as stars, IRremoteESP8266 26%. 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 | IRremoteESP8266 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 115K | ★ 3.6K |
| License | MIT | LGPL-2.1 |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-15 | 2026-08-23 |
| Forks | ⑂ 13K | ⑂ 933 |
| 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 IRremoteESP8266 if
- You want the IRremoteESP8266 feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the LGPL-2.1 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and IRremoteESP8266 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 IRremoteESP8266
IRremoteESP8266 is an open source C++ library for the Arduino framework that lets ESP8266 and ESP32 boards send and receive infrared signals. It lives in the embedded home automation and HVAC control ecosystem and is based on Arduino IRremote. It uses common 940 nm infrared LEDs and common infrared receiver modules, including TSOP{17,22,24,36,38,44,48} demodulators.
read the full IRremoteESP8266 overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Browser Use or IRremoteESP8266 more popular?
Browser Use has 114,959 GitHub stars and IRremoteESP8266 has 3,600. Browser Use has the larger community by that measure.
Are Browser Use and IRremoteESP8266 free?
Both are open source. Browser Use is licensed under MIT and IRremoteESP8266 under LGPL-2.1. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Browser Use and IRremoteESP8266?
Browser Use is written in Python and IRremoteESP8266 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 IRremoteESP8266?
Choose Browser Use if you want the larger community (114,959 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose IRremoteESP8266 if its feature set, stack or LGPL-2.1 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.