head to head · open source
oomwoo vs HomeKey-ESP32
oomwoo has 12,941 GitHub stars, 814 forks, 3 open issues and last shipped yesterday. HomeKey-ESP32 has 1,116 stars, 100 forks, 47 open issues and last shipped 17 days ago. oomwoo leads on adoption by 1,060% (12,941 vs 1,116 stars). oomwoo is written in Python under Apache-2.0; HomeKey-ESP32 is written in C++ under MIT. oomwoo has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, HomeKey-ESP32 9%. oomwoo was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (arduino, 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
| oomwoo | HomeKey-ESP32 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 13K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-10-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 814 | ⑂ 100 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick oomwoo if
- You weight community size — 13K 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 HomeKey-ESP32 if
- You want the HomeKey-ESP32 feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and HomeKey-ESP32 fits your workflow better
About oomwoo
OOMWOO Open source robot vacuum you build yourself Clean well · Hackable · Raspberry Pi · 3D printed · Local / No cloud required · Home Assistant · Arduino · ROS2 · ESP32 OOMWOO is an open source home robot vacuum you can build yourself, built using Raspberry Pi, 3D printing, Home Assistant, Arduino and ROS2. It uses an affordable 2D LiDAR to map your home and navigate on its own. Local, no cloud required for regular functionality, no vendor lock in. Follow us building in public Discord X Instagram Facebook Reddit newsletter YouTube oomwoo.com Tutorials Early build instructions will be available in Fall 2026…
read the full oomwoo overview →
About HomeKey-ESP32
HomeKey ESP32 Apple HomeKey functionality for the rest of us Documentation What is HomeKey ESP32? The project aims to be the easy DIY solution for using Apple's HomeKey feature without the need to purchase a compatible smart lock that you probably don't want. HomeKey ESP32 brings Apple's secure NFC based unlocking to an ESP32 module near you, enabling you to unlock doors and whatnot with a simple tap of your iPhone or Apple Watch. No proprietary hardware required – just an ESP32 and one of the supported NFC modules [!WARNING] The flash memory is not encrypted as this kinda started as a pet project of mine but a…
read the full HomeKey-ESP32 overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is oomwoo or HomeKey-ESP32 more popular?
oomwoo has 12,941 GitHub stars and HomeKey-ESP32 has 1,116. oomwoo has the larger community by that measure.
Are oomwoo and HomeKey-ESP32 free?
Both are open source. oomwoo is licensed under Apache-2.0 and HomeKey-ESP32 under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between oomwoo and HomeKey-ESP32?
oomwoo is written in Python and HomeKey-ESP32 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, oomwoo or HomeKey-ESP32?
Choose oomwoo if you want the larger community (12,941 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose HomeKey-ESP32 if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.