head to head · open source
HomeSpan vs matterbridge
HomeSpan has 2,168 GitHub stars, 200 forks, 9 open issues and last shipped 12 days ago. matterbridge has 977 stars, 59 forks, 8 open issues and last shipped yesterday. HomeSpan leads on adoption by 122% (2,168 vs 977 stars). HomeSpan is written in C++ under MIT; matterbridge is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. HomeSpan has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, matterbridge 6%. matterbridge 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
| HomeSpan | matterbridge | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 2.2K | ★ 977 |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-15 | 2026-09-26 |
| Forks | ⑂ 200 | ⑂ 59 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick HomeSpan if
- You weight community size — 2.2K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick matterbridge if
- You want the matterbridge 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 matterbridge fits your workflow better
About HomeSpan
HomeSpan is an MIT licensed C++ Arduino library for the Arduino ESP32 ecosystem. It lets developers build HomeKit devices on Espressif ESP32 microcontrollers without external bridges or components. The project implements Apple's HomeKit Accessory Protocol Specification Release R2, called HAP R2, and pairs directly to HomeKit through a home WiFi network.
read the full HomeSpan overview →
About matterbridge
Matterbridge is an Apache 2.0 TypeScript Matter plugin manager that creates a single Matter bridge device, so Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, SmartThings, Home Assistant and other Matter ecosystems pick up all of your devices after one pairing instead of many.
read the full matterbridge overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is HomeSpan or matterbridge more popular?
HomeSpan has 2,168 GitHub stars and matterbridge has 977. HomeSpan has the larger community by that measure.
Are HomeSpan and matterbridge free?
Both are open source. HomeSpan is licensed under MIT and matterbridge under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between HomeSpan and matterbridge?
HomeSpan is written in C++ and matterbridge 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, HomeSpan or matterbridge?
Choose HomeSpan if you want the larger community (2,168 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose matterbridge if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.