head to head · open source
espectre vs IRremoteESP8266
espectre has 9,388 GitHub stars, 709 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped yesterday. IRremoteESP8266 has 3,602 stars, 934 forks, 105 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. espectre leads on adoption by 161% (9,388 vs 3,602 stars). espectre is written in Python under GPL-3.0; IRremoteESP8266 is written in C++ under LGPL-2.1. espectre has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, IRremoteESP8266 26%. espectre 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
| espectre | IRremoteESP8266 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 9.4K | ★ 3.6K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-21 | 2026-08-23 |
| Forks | ⑂ 709 | ⑂ 934 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick espectre if
- You weight community size — 9.4K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick IRremoteESP8266 if
- You want the IRremoteESP8266 feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the LGPL-2.1 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and IRremoteESP8266 fits your workflow better
About espectre
ESPectre is an open source Wi Fi CSI motion sensing platform that turns a supported ESP32 board into a private, local motion sensor reporting movement in real time, and it is built for embedded developers, Home Assistant users, and DIY builders who want room level sensing without cameras, microphones, wearables, or dedicated radar hardware.
read the full espectre overview →
About IRremoteESP8266
IRremoteESP8266 is an open source C++ library for the Arduino framework that lets ESP8266 and ESP32 boards send and receive infrared signals. It lives in the embedded home automation and HVAC control ecosystem and is based on Arduino IRremote. It uses common 940 nm infrared LEDs and common infrared receiver modules, including TSOP{17,22,24,36,38,44,48} demodulators.
read the full IRremoteESP8266 overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is espectre or IRremoteESP8266 more popular?
espectre has 9,388 GitHub stars and IRremoteESP8266 has 3,602. espectre has the larger community by that measure.
Are espectre and IRremoteESP8266 free?
Both are open source. espectre is licensed under GPL-3.0 and IRremoteESP8266 under LGPL-2.1. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between espectre and IRremoteESP8266?
espectre is written in Python and IRremoteESP8266 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, espectre or IRremoteESP8266?
Choose espectre if you want the larger community (9,388 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose IRremoteESP8266 if its feature set, stack or LGPL-2.1 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.