head to head · open source
HomeSpan vs ring
HomeSpan has 2,210 GitHub stars, 206 forks, 9 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. ring has 1,542 stars, 225 forks, 37 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. HomeSpan leads on adoption by 43% (2,210 vs 1,542 stars). HomeSpan is written in C++ under MIT; ring is written in TypeScript under MIT. HomeSpan has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, ring 15%. ring 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 | ring | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 2.2K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-15 | 2026-11-07 |
| Forks | ⑂ 206 | ⑂ 225 |
| 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 ring if
- You want the ring feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and ring fits your workflow better
About HomeSpan
Welcome! Welcome to HomeSpan a robust and extremely easy to use Arduino library for creating your own ESP32 based HomeKit devices entirely within the Arduino IDE. HomeSpan provides a microcontroller focused implementation of Apple's HomeKit Accessory Protocol Specification Release R2 (HAP R2) designed specifically for the Espressif ESP32 microcontroller running within the Arduino IDE. HomeSpan pairs directly to HomeKit via your home WiFi network without the need for any external bridges or components. With HomeSpan you can use the full power of the ESP32's I/O functionality to create custom control software…
read the full HomeSpan overview →
About ring
Ring This repo contains unofficial packages to enable interaction and automation with the majority of Ring products Troubleshooting Issues If you are having issues, please look for related articles in the wiki and search existing Issues before opening a new Issue/Discussion ring client api The ring client api is a TypeScript package designed to be used by developers to create your own apps/programs which interact with Rings api homebridge ring homebridge ring allows users to easily integrate Ring products into Apple HomeKit via homebridge Examples See the examples directory for examples using the ring client api…
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Frequently asked questions
Is HomeSpan or ring more popular?
HomeSpan has 2,210 GitHub stars and ring has 1,542. HomeSpan has the larger community by that measure.
Are HomeSpan and ring free?
Both are open source. HomeSpan is licensed under MIT and ring under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between HomeSpan and ring?
HomeSpan is written in C++ and ring 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 ring?
Choose HomeSpan if you want the larger community (2,210 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose ring if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.