head to head · open source
espectre vs ble_monitor
espectre has 9,475 GitHub stars, 718 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. ble_monitor has 2,247 stars, 290 forks, 119 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. espectre leads on adoption by 322% (9,475 vs 2,247 stars). espectre is written in Python under GPL-3.0; ble_monitor is written in Python under MIT. espectre has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, ble_monitor 13%. 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 | ble_monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 9.5K | ★ 2.2K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-10-05 | 2026-09-30 |
| Forks | ⑂ 718 | ⑂ 290 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick espectre if
- You weight community size — 9.5K 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 ble_monitor if
- You want the ble_monitor feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and ble_monitor 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 ble_monitor
ble monitor is a Python custom component for Home Assistant that passively reads data from a wide range of inexpensive Bluetooth Low Energy sensors so their readings appear in your Home Assistant dashboard.
read the full ble_monitor overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is espectre or ble_monitor more popular?
espectre has 9,475 GitHub stars and ble_monitor has 2,247. espectre has the larger community by that measure.
Are espectre and ble_monitor free?
Both are open source. espectre is licensed under GPL-3.0 and ble_monitor under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between espectre and ble_monitor?
espectre is written in Python and ble_monitor 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 ble_monitor?
Choose espectre if you want the larger community (9,475 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose ble_monitor if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.