head to head · open source
operating-system vs HomeSpan
operating-system has 7,492 GitHub stars, 1,293 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. HomeSpan has 2,166 stars, 199 forks, 9 open issues and last shipped 10 days ago. operating-system leads on adoption by 246% (7,492 vs 2,166 stars). operating-system is written in Python under Apache-2.0; HomeSpan is written in C++ under MIT. operating-system has attracted 17% as many forks as stars, HomeSpan 9%. 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 | HomeSpan | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 7.5K | ★ 2.2K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-23 | 2026-09-15 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.3K | ⑂ 199 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick operating-system if
- You weight community size — 7.5K 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 HomeSpan if
- You want the HomeSpan feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and HomeSpan fits your workflow better
About operating-system
The Home Assistant Operating System is a Linux based operating system built specifically to host Home Assistant and its Apps, intended for people running Home Assistant on a single board computer such as a Raspberry Pi or ODROID, or on an x86 64 machine with UEFI firmware.
read the full operating-system overview →
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is operating-system or HomeSpan more popular?
operating-system has 7,492 GitHub stars and HomeSpan has 2,166. operating-system has the larger community by that measure.
Are operating-system and HomeSpan free?
Both are open source. operating-system is licensed under Apache-2.0 and HomeSpan under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between operating-system and HomeSpan?
operating-system is written in Python and HomeSpan 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, operating-system or HomeSpan?
Choose operating-system if you want the larger community (7,492 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose HomeSpan if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.