head to head · open source
IRremoteESP8266 vs iOS
IRremoteESP8266 has 3,601 GitHub stars, 933 forks, 105 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. iOS has 2,358 stars, 521 forks, 293 open issues and last shipped yesterday. IRremoteESP8266 leads on adoption by 53% (3,601 vs 2,358 stars). IRremoteESP8266 is written in C++ under LGPL-2.1; iOS is written in Swift under Apache-2.0. IRremoteESP8266 has attracted 26% as many forks as stars, iOS 22%. iOS was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (hacktoberfest, home-automation), 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.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| IRremoteESP8266 | iOS | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.6K | ★ 2.4K |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | C++ | Swift |
| Last push | 2026-08-23 | 2026-09-21 |
| Forks | ⑂ 933 | ⑂ 521 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick IRremoteESP8266 if
- You weight community size — 3.6K stars and counting
- You want the LGPL-2.1 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick iOS if
- You want the iOS feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Swift
- You evaluated both and iOS fits your workflow better
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 →
About iOS
Home Assistant for Apple Platforms is companion app for Home Assistant on iOS and macOS. It lives in Home Assistant open source home automation ecosystem. Project is written in Swift, licensed Apache 2.0, and tagged with home assistant, home automation, ios, macos, open source app, swift. Repository lists 2350 stars, 519 forks, 293 open issues, and 10 years age. Category is Productivity & Utilities / Automation. Last push is 2026 09 15T06:10:16Z.
More in Miscellaneous
Related comparisons
More Internet of Things (IoT) projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Internet of Things (IoT) field.
Frequently asked questions
Is IRremoteESP8266 or iOS more popular?
IRremoteESP8266 has 3,601 GitHub stars and iOS has 2,358. IRremoteESP8266 has the larger community by that measure.
Are IRremoteESP8266 and iOS free?
Both are open source. IRremoteESP8266 is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and iOS under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between IRremoteESP8266 and iOS?
IRremoteESP8266 is written in C++ and iOS in Swift. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, IRremoteESP8266 or iOS?
Choose IRremoteESP8266 if you want the larger community (3,601 stars) or its LGPL-2.1 licence terms. Choose iOS if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.