head to head · open source
espectre vs tagreader
espectre has 9,388 GitHub stars, 709 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped yesterday. tagreader has 1,607 stars, 212 forks, 48 open issues and last shipped 5 months ago. espectre leads on adoption by 484% (9,388 vs 1,607 stars). espectre is written in Python under GPL-3.0; tagreader is written in Shell under GPL-3.0. espectre has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, tagreader 13%. espectre was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| espectre | tagreader | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 9.4K | ★ 1.6K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Shell |
| Last push | 2026-09-21 | 2026-04-27 |
| Forks | ⑂ 709 | ⑂ 212 |
| 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 tagreader if
- You want the tagreader feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Shell
- You evaluated both and tagreader 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 tagreader
tagreader is a GPL 3.0 NFC tag reader built from an ESP8266 D1 Mini and a PN532 module running ESPHome firmware, created specifically so that Home Assistant users can scan physical tags and manage them inside Home Assistant.
read the full tagreader overview →
More in Miscellaneous
Related comparisons
More Internet of Things (IoT) projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Internet of Things (IoT) field.
Frequently asked questions
Is espectre or tagreader more popular?
espectre has 9,388 GitHub stars and tagreader has 1,607. espectre has the larger community by that measure.
Are espectre and tagreader free?
Both are open source. espectre is licensed under GPL-3.0 and tagreader under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between espectre and tagreader?
espectre is written in Python and tagreader in Shell. 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 tagreader?
Choose espectre if you want the larger community (9,388 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose tagreader if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.