head to head · open source
espectre vs EMS-ESP32
espectre has 9,728 GitHub stars, 739 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped yesterday. EMS-ESP32 has 1,053 stars, 159 forks, 15 open issues and last shipped yesterday. espectre leads on adoption by 824% (9,728 vs 1,053 stars). espectre is written in Python under GPL-3.0; EMS-ESP32 is written in C++ under LGPL-3.0. espectre has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, EMS-ESP32 15%. EMS-ESP32 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 | EMS-ESP32 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 9.7K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | LGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 739 | ⑂ 159 |
| 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 EMS-ESP32 if
- You want the EMS-ESP32 feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the LGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and EMS-ESP32 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 EMS-ESP32
EMS ESP EMS ESP is an open source firmware for the Espressif ESP32 microcontroller to communicate with EMS (Energy Management System) compatible equipment from manufacturers such as Bosch, Buderus, Nefit, Junkers, Worcester, Sieger, elm.leblanc and iVT. It requires a small circuit to interface with the EMS bus which can be purchased from . These gateways are tested thoroughly and certified to work with EMS ESP. 📦 Key Features Compatible with EMS, EMS+, EMS2, EMS Plus, Logamatic EMS, Junkers 2 wire, Heatronic 3 and 4 Supporting over 120 different EMS compatible devices such as thermostats, boilers, heat pumps…
read the full EMS-ESP32 overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is espectre or EMS-ESP32 more popular?
espectre has 9,728 GitHub stars and EMS-ESP32 has 1,053. espectre has the larger community by that measure.
Are espectre and EMS-ESP32 free?
Both are open source. espectre is licensed under GPL-3.0 and EMS-ESP32 under LGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between espectre and EMS-ESP32?
espectre is written in Python and EMS-ESP32 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, espectre or EMS-ESP32?
Choose espectre if you want the larger community (9,728 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose EMS-ESP32 if its feature set, stack or LGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.