head to head · open source
espectre vs adaptive-lighting
espectre has 9,439 GitHub stars, 714 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped yesterday. adaptive-lighting has 3,486 stars, 228 forks, 148 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. espectre leads on adoption by 171% (9,439 vs 3,486 stars). espectre is written in Python under GPL-3.0; adaptive-lighting is written in Python under Apache-2.0. espectre has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, adaptive-lighting 7%. espectre was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (home-assistant), 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
| espectre | adaptive-lighting | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 9.4K | ★ 3.5K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-30 | 2026-09-28 |
| Forks | ⑂ 714 | ⑂ 228 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick espectre if
- You weight community size — 9.4K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick adaptive-lighting if
- You want the adaptive-lighting feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and adaptive-lighting fits your workflow better
About espectre
ESPectre is an open source Wi Fi CSI motion sensing platform that turns a supported ESP32 board into a private, local motion sensor reporting movement in real time, and it is built for embedded developers, Home Assistant users, and DIY builders who want room level sensing without cameras, microphones, wearables, or dedicated radar hardware.
read the full espectre overview →
About adaptive-lighting
Adaptive Lighting is an Apache 2.0 licensed custom component for Home Assistant that automatically adjusts the brightness and colour of lights according to the sun's position, for Home Assistant users who want their lighting to follow a natural circadian rhythm while still being able to take manual control.
read the full adaptive-lighting overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is espectre or adaptive-lighting more popular?
espectre has 9,439 GitHub stars and adaptive-lighting has 3,486. espectre has the larger community by that measure.
Are espectre and adaptive-lighting free?
Both are open source. espectre is licensed under GPL-3.0 and adaptive-lighting under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between espectre and adaptive-lighting?
espectre is written in Python and adaptive-lighting 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, espectre or adaptive-lighting?
Choose espectre if you want the larger community (9,439 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose adaptive-lighting if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.