head to head · open source
espectre vs better_thermostat
espectre has 9,728 GitHub stars, 739 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped yesterday. better_thermostat has 1,539 stars, 192 forks, 56 open issues and last shipped yesterday. espectre leads on adoption by 532% (9,728 vs 1,539 stars). espectre is written in Python under GPL-3.0; better_thermostat is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. espectre has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, better_thermostat 12%. better_thermostat 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 | better_thermostat | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 9.7K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 739 | ⑂ 192 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick espectre if
- You weight community size — 9.7K 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 better_thermostat if
- You want the better_thermostat feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and better_thermostat fits your workflow better
About espectre
ESPectre Turn an ESP32 into a private, local Wi Fi motion sensor. When someone moves through a room, they change the way Wi Fi signals travel through it. ESPectre reads those changes and reports motion in real time. No camera, no microphone, no wearable, and no dedicated radar hardware: just a supported ESP32 and the Wi Fi network already in the room. ESPectre is an open source platform that brings together ready to flash firmware, an embeddable C++ SDK, a MicroPython implementation, browser tools, a host CLI, an open dataset, open model weights, and the research workflow used to build and validate the…
read the full espectre overview →
About better_thermostat
Better Thermostat For more info visit: Requirements Minimum required Home Assistant version: 2026.7.2 ( continuously tested against Home Assistant ) Companion UI We've created a companion UI element which can display more information than the default thermostat element in Home Assistant. Check it out via HACS: better thermostat ui card If you have a question or need help please create a new discussion or check if your question is already answered If you have a suggestion, found a bug, or want to add a new device or function create a new issue If you want to contribute to this project create a new pull request…
read the full better_thermostat overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is espectre or better_thermostat more popular?
espectre has 9,728 GitHub stars and better_thermostat has 1,539. espectre has the larger community by that measure.
Are espectre and better_thermostat free?
Both are open source. espectre is licensed under GPL-3.0 and better_thermostat under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between espectre and better_thermostat?
espectre is written in Python and better_thermostat 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 better_thermostat?
Choose espectre if you want the larger community (9,728 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose better_thermostat if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.