head to head · open source
espectre vs operating-system
espectre has 9,388 GitHub stars, 708 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. operating-system has 7,492 stars, 1,293 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. espectre leads on adoption by 25% (9,388 vs 7,492 stars). espectre is written in Python under GPL-3.0; operating-system is written in Python under Apache-2.0. espectre has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, operating-system 17%. operating-system 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 | operating-system | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 9.4K | ★ 7.5K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-23 | 2026-09-23 |
| Forks | ⑂ 708 | ⑂ 1.3K |
| 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 operating-system if
- You want the operating-system 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 operating-system 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 operating-system
The Home Assistant Operating System is a Linux based operating system built specifically to host Home Assistant and its Apps, intended for people running Home Assistant on a single board computer such as a Raspberry Pi or ODROID, or on an x86 64 machine with UEFI firmware.
read the full operating-system overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is espectre or operating-system more popular?
espectre has 9,388 GitHub stars and operating-system has 7,492. espectre has the larger community by that measure.
Are espectre and operating-system free?
Both are open source. espectre is licensed under GPL-3.0 and operating-system under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between espectre and operating-system?
espectre is written in Python and operating-system 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 operating-system?
Choose espectre if you want the larger community (9,388 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose operating-system if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.