head to head · open source
espectre vs project_aura
espectre has 9,408 GitHub stars, 709 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. project_aura has 760 stars, 70 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 9 days ago. espectre leads on adoption by 1,138% (9,408 vs 760 stars). espectre is written in Python under GPL-3.0; project_aura is written in C under GPL-3.0. espectre has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, project_aura 9%. espectre was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (diy, 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 | project_aura | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 9.4K | ★ 760 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | C |
| Last push | 2026-09-26 | 2026-09-19 |
| Forks | ⑂ 709 | ⑂ 70 |
| 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 project_aura if
- You want the project_aura feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C
- You evaluated both and project_aura 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 project_aura
Project Aura AQ is an open source ESP32 S3 air quality station with an LVGL touchscreen interface, a local web dashboard, MQTT and Home Assistant integration, and no cloud dependency, made for makers who want to assemble a finished indoor air quality monitor rather than run a temporary sensor prototype.
read the full project_aura overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is espectre or project_aura more popular?
espectre has 9,408 GitHub stars and project_aura has 760. espectre has the larger community by that measure.
Are espectre and project_aura free?
Both are open source. espectre is licensed under GPL-3.0 and project_aura under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between espectre and project_aura?
espectre is written in Python and project_aura 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 project_aura?
Choose espectre if you want the larger community (9,408 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose project_aura if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.