head to head · open source
Home Assistant vs EMS-ESP32
Home Assistant has 91,945 GitHub stars, 39,193 forks, 3,527 open issues and last shipped yesterday. EMS-ESP32 has 1,053 stars, 159 forks, 15 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Home Assistant leads on adoption by 8,632% (91,945 vs 1,053 stars). Home Assistant is written in Python under Apache-2.0; EMS-ESP32 is written in C++ under LGPL-3.0. Home Assistant has attracted 43% as many forks as stars, EMS-ESP32 15%. Home Assistant was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (home-automation, iot, mqtt), 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
| Home Assistant | EMS-ESP32 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 92K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | LGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 39K | ⑂ 159 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Home Assistant if
- You weight community size — 92K 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 EMS-ESP32 if
- You want the EMS-ESP32 feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the LGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and EMS-ESP32 fits your workflow better
About Home Assistant
Home Assistant Chat Status ================================================================================= Open source home automation that puts local control and privacy first. Powered by a worldwide community of tinkerers and DIY enthusiasts. Perfect to run on a Raspberry Pi or a local server. Check out home assistant.io for a demo , installation instructions , tutorials and documentation . Featured integrations The system is built using a modular approach so support for other devices or actions can be implemented easily. See also the section on architecture and the section on creating your own components…
read the full Home Assistant overview →
About EMS-ESP32
EMS ESP EMS ESP is an open source firmware for the Espressif ESP32 microcontroller to communicate with EMS (Energy Management System) compatible equipment from manufacturers such as Bosch, Buderus, Nefit, Junkers, Worcester, Sieger, elm.leblanc and iVT. It requires a small circuit to interface with the EMS bus which can be purchased from . These gateways are tested thoroughly and certified to work with EMS ESP. 📦 Key Features Compatible with EMS, EMS+, EMS2, EMS Plus, Logamatic EMS, Junkers 2 wire, Heatronic 3 and 4 Supporting over 120 different EMS compatible devices such as thermostats, boilers, heat pumps…
read the full EMS-ESP32 overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Home Assistant or EMS-ESP32 more popular?
Home Assistant has 91,945 GitHub stars and EMS-ESP32 has 1,053. Home Assistant has the larger community by that measure.
Are Home Assistant and EMS-ESP32 free?
Both are open source. Home Assistant is licensed under Apache-2.0 and EMS-ESP32 under LGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Home Assistant and EMS-ESP32?
Home Assistant is written in Python and EMS-ESP32 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, Home Assistant or EMS-ESP32?
Choose Home Assistant if you want the larger community (91,945 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose EMS-ESP32 if its feature set, stack or LGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.