head to head · open source
integration vs self-host
integration has 7,869 GitHub stars, 1,613 forks, 164 open issues and last shipped yesterday. self-host has 1,490 stars, 62 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped yesterday. integration leads on adoption by 428% (7,869 vs 1,490 stars). integration is written in Python under MIT; self-host is written in Go under Apache-2.0. integration has attracted 20% as many forks as stars, self-host 4%. self-host was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (home-assistant), 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
| integration | self-host | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 7.9K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.6K | ⑂ 62 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick integration if
- You weight community size — 7.9K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick self-host if
- You want the self-host feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and self-host fits your workflow better
About integration
HACS (Home Assistant Community Store) Manage (Install, track, upgrade) and discover custom elements for Home Assistant directly from the UI. What? HACS is an integration that gives the user a powerful UI to handle downloads of custom needs. Highlights of what HACS can do: Help you discover new custom elements. Help you download new custom elements. Help you keep track of your custom elements. Manage(download/update/remove) Shortcuts to repositories/issue tracker Useful links General documentation Configuration FAQ GitHub Discord Become a GitHub sponsor? ❤️ BuyMe Coffee Beer? 🍺🙈 Issues If When you experience…
read the full integration overview →
About self-host
self host Try self hosted apps from your terminal. Website · Docs · Showreel · Discord self host is a terminal UI for getting self hosted Apps running with Docker Compose. Pick an App, let it set up an account and connect the Apps it supports, then try it. It's meant for people getting started, or anyone who wants to try an App before adding it to their own setup. Think of it as a small terminal based alternative to Portainer, with App setup included. If you already have a setup you're happy with, you don't need this. It manages its own Compose Project, not your existing containers. Get started You need Docker…
read the full self-host overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is integration or self-host more popular?
integration has 7,869 GitHub stars and self-host has 1,490. integration has the larger community by that measure.
Are integration and self-host free?
Both are open source. integration is licensed under MIT and self-host under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between integration and self-host?
integration is written in Python and self-host in Go. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, integration or self-host?
Choose integration if you want the larger community (7,869 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose self-host if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.