head to head · open source
Home Assistant vs HomeKey-ESP32
Home Assistant has 90,832 GitHub stars, 38,710 forks, 3,527 open issues and last shipped yesterday. HomeKey-ESP32 has 1,079 stars, 94 forks, 47 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Home Assistant leads on adoption by 8,318% (90,832 vs 1,079 stars). Home Assistant is written in Python under Apache-2.0; HomeKey-ESP32 is written in C++ under MIT. Home Assistant has attracted 43% as many forks as stars, HomeKey-ESP32 9%. Home Assistant was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (home-automation), 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 | HomeKey-ESP32 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 91K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-09-19 |
| Forks | ⑂ 39K | ⑂ 94 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Home Assistant if
- You weight community size — 91K 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 HomeKey-ESP32 if
- You want the HomeKey-ESP32 feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and HomeKey-ESP32 fits your workflow better
About Home Assistant
Home Assistant is an open source home automation platform that runs locally on devices such as Raspberry Pi or a personal server. It enables users to control and automate smart home devices—including lights, thermostats, locks, and sensors—without relying on cloud services. Built in Python with an asyncio event loop, it emphasizes local processing and data sovereignty, ensuring all device data remains under the user’s control.
read the full Home Assistant overview →
About HomeKey-ESP32
HomeKey ESP32 is a reverse engineered, MIT licensed C++ firmware project that adds Apple Home Key — Apple's secure NFC based unlocking — to an ordinary ESP32 development board, so a door can be opened with a tap of an iPhone or Apple Watch instead of a certified commercial smart lock.
read the full HomeKey-ESP32 overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Home Assistant or HomeKey-ESP32 more popular?
Home Assistant has 90,832 GitHub stars and HomeKey-ESP32 has 1,079. Home Assistant has the larger community by that measure.
Are Home Assistant and HomeKey-ESP32 free?
Both are open source. Home Assistant is licensed under Apache-2.0 and HomeKey-ESP32 under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Home Assistant and HomeKey-ESP32?
Home Assistant is written in Python and HomeKey-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 HomeKey-ESP32?
Choose Home Assistant if you want the larger community (90,832 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose HomeKey-ESP32 if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.