head to head · open source
operating-system vs HAP-NodeJS
operating-system has 7,492 GitHub stars, 1,293 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. HAP-NodeJS has 2,722 stars, 619 forks, 6 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. operating-system leads on adoption by 175% (7,492 vs 2,722 stars). operating-system is written in Python under Apache-2.0; HAP-NodeJS is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. operating-system has attracted 17% as many forks as stars, HAP-NodeJS 23%. operating-system 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.
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Side by side
| operating-system | HAP-NodeJS | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 7.5K | ★ 2.7K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-23 | 2026-08-22 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.3K | ⑂ 619 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick operating-system if
- You weight community size — 7.5K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick HAP-NodeJS if
- You want the HAP-NodeJS feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and HAP-NodeJS fits your workflow better
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 →
About HAP-NodeJS
HAP NodeJS is a TypeScript implementation of the server side of Apple's HomeKit Accessory Protocol (HAP), published under the Apache 2.0 licence as a library for developers who want to build their own HomeKit accessories on Raspberry Pi, Intel Edison, or any other platform that can run Node.js.
read the full HAP-NodeJS overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is operating-system or HAP-NodeJS more popular?
operating-system has 7,492 GitHub stars and HAP-NodeJS has 2,722. operating-system has the larger community by that measure.
Are operating-system and HAP-NodeJS free?
Both are open source. operating-system is licensed under Apache-2.0 and HAP-NodeJS under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between operating-system and HAP-NodeJS?
operating-system is written in Python and HAP-NodeJS in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, operating-system or HAP-NodeJS?
Choose operating-system if you want the larger community (7,492 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose HAP-NodeJS if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.