head to head · open source
homebridge vs itsyhome-macos
homebridge has 25,547 GitHub stars, 2,010 forks, 21 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. itsyhome-macos has 1,010 stars, 37 forks, 19 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. homebridge leads on adoption by 2,429% (25,547 vs 1,010 stars). homebridge is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; itsyhome-macos is written in Swift under MIT. homebridge has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, itsyhome-macos 4%. homebridge was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (homekit), 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
| homebridge | itsyhome-macos | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 26K | ★ 1.0K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | Swift |
| Last push | 2026-11-08 | 2026-09-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.0K | ⑂ 37 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick homebridge if
- You weight community size — 26K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick itsyhome-macos if
- You want the itsyhome-macos feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Swift
- You evaluated both and itsyhome-macos fits your workflow better
About homebridge
Homebridge Homebridge is a lightweight Node.js server you can run on your home network to emulate the HomeKit Accessory Protocol (HAP). It supports plugins, which are community contributed modules that provide a basic bridge from HomeKit to various 3rd party APIs provided by manufacturers of "smart home" devices. From v2, plugins can also expose accessories over Matter for use with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, SmartThings and other Matter capable controllers. Homebridge is a free, non commercial, community driven open source project. It is not affiliated with Apple, Google, Amazon, or the Connectivity…
read the full homebridge overview →
About itsyhome-macos
Itsyhome A native macOS menu bar app for controlling your HomeKit and Home Assistant smart home. itsyhome.app Also available on iOS and tvOS iOS tvOS Features Menu bar access Control your smart home from the macOS menu bar HomeKit support Full integration with Apple HomeKit devices and scenes Home Assistant support Connect to your Home Assistant server via WebSocket API Device groups Create custom groups to control multiple devices at once Auto groups Similar devices are folded into one click groups ("All lights", "All blinds", ...) at the top level and in every room, with a master toggle and the member devices…
read the full itsyhome-macos overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is homebridge or itsyhome-macos more popular?
homebridge has 25,547 GitHub stars and itsyhome-macos has 1,010. homebridge has the larger community by that measure.
Are homebridge and itsyhome-macos free?
Both are open source. homebridge is licensed under Apache-2.0 and itsyhome-macos under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between homebridge and itsyhome-macos?
homebridge is written in TypeScript and itsyhome-macos in Swift. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, homebridge or itsyhome-macos?
Choose homebridge if you want the larger community (25,547 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose itsyhome-macos if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.