head to head · open source
espectre vs midea_ac_lan
espectre has 9,585 GitHub stars, 725 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped yesterday. midea_ac_lan has 1,909 stars, 168 forks, 92 open issues and last shipped today. espectre leads on adoption by 402% (9,585 vs 1,909 stars). espectre is written in Python under GPL-3.0; midea_ac_lan is written in Python under MIT. espectre has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, midea_ac_lan 9%. midea_ac_lan 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 | midea_ac_lan | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 9.6K | ★ 1.9K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-10-13 | 2026-10-14 |
| Forks | ⑂ 725 | ⑂ 168 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick espectre if
- You weight community size — 9.6K 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 midea_ac_lan if
- You want the midea_ac_lan feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and midea_ac_lan 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 midea_ac_lan
midea ac lan is a Home Assistant integration written in Python that auto configures and then controls Midea M Smart appliances — air conditioners, fans, water heaters, washers and more — over the local network, and it is built for smart home owners who want to run those appliances inside Home Assistant rather than through Midea's cloud apps.
read the full midea_ac_lan overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is espectre or midea_ac_lan more popular?
espectre has 9,585 GitHub stars and midea_ac_lan has 1,909. espectre has the larger community by that measure.
Are espectre and midea_ac_lan free?
Both are open source. espectre is licensed under GPL-3.0 and midea_ac_lan under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between espectre and midea_ac_lan?
espectre is written in Python and midea_ac_lan 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 midea_ac_lan?
Choose espectre if you want the larger community (9,585 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose midea_ac_lan if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.