head to head · open source
espectre vs python-miio
espectre has 9,388 GitHub stars, 709 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped yesterday. python-miio has 4,306 stars, 601 forks, 313 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. espectre leads on adoption by 118% (9,388 vs 4,306 stars). espectre is written in Python under GPL-3.0; python-miio is written in Python under GPL-3.0. espectre has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, python-miio 14%. 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 | python-miio | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 9.4K | ★ 4.3K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-21 | 2026-07-25 |
| Forks | ⑂ 709 | ⑂ 601 |
| 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 python-miio if
- You want the python-miio feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and python-miio 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 python-miio
python miio is a Python library and console tool for controlling Xiaomi smart appliances. It supports devices using Xiaomi's miIO and MIoT protocols, and it provides programmatic access through Python and command line access through miiocli. The project lives in the Python home automation ecosystem, and its topics connect it to Home Assistant and Xiaomi smart home control.
read the full python-miio overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is espectre or python-miio more popular?
espectre has 9,388 GitHub stars and python-miio has 4,306. espectre has the larger community by that measure.
Are espectre and python-miio free?
Both are open source. espectre is licensed under GPL-3.0 and python-miio under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between espectre and python-miio?
espectre is written in Python and python-miio 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 python-miio?
Choose espectre if you want the larger community (9,388 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose python-miio if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.