head to head · open source
operating-system vs HAP-NodeJS
operating-system has 7,634 GitHub stars, 1,335 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. HAP-NodeJS has 2,720 stars, 620 forks, 6 open issues and last shipped 8 days ago. operating-system leads on adoption by 181% (7,634 vs 2,720 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 | ★ 7.6K | ★ 2.7K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-06 | 2026-11-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.3K | ⑂ 620 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick operating-system if
- You weight community size — 7.6K 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
Home Assistant Operating System Home Assistant Operating System (formerly HassOS) is a Linux based operating system optimized to host Home Assistant and its Apps. Home Assistant Operating System uses Docker as its container engine. By default it deploys the Home Assistant Supervisor as a container. Home Assistant Supervisor in turn uses the Docker container engine to control Home Assistant Core and Apps in separate containers. Home Assistant Operating System is not based on a regular Linux distribution like Ubuntu. It is built using Buildroot and it is optimized to run Home Assistant. It targets single board…
read the full operating-system overview →
About HAP-NodeJS
HAP NodeJS HAP NodeJS is an implementation of the HomeKit Accessory Server as specified in the HomeKit Accessory Protocol (HAP), which is defined by Apple as part of the HomeKit Framework. HAP NodeJS is intended to be used as a library to easily create your own HomeKit Accessory on a Raspberry Pi, Intel Edison, or any other platform that can run Node.js :) If you are searching for a pluggable HomeKit bridge with over a thousand community driven plugins to bring HomeKit support to devices which do not support HomeKit out of the box, you may want to look at the [homebridge][project homebridge] project (which also…
read the full HAP-NodeJS overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is operating-system or HAP-NodeJS more popular?
operating-system has 7,634 GitHub stars and HAP-NodeJS has 2,720. 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 (7,634 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.