head to head · open source
OpenMQTTGateway vs emhass
OpenMQTTGateway has 4,117 GitHub stars, 910 forks, 48 open issues and last shipped 17 days ago. emhass has 726 stars, 181 forks, 50 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. OpenMQTTGateway leads on adoption by 467% (4,117 vs 726 stars). OpenMQTTGateway is written in C++ under GPL-3.0; emhass is written in Python under MIT. OpenMQTTGateway has attracted 22% as many forks as stars, emhass 25%. emhass was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (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.
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Side by side
| OpenMQTTGateway | emhass | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 4.1K | ★ 726 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Written in | C++ | Python |
| Last push | 2026-10-19 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 910 | ⑂ 181 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick OpenMQTTGateway if
- You weight community size — 4.1K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick emhass if
- You want the emhass feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and emhass fits your workflow better
About OpenMQTTGateway
OpenMQTTGateway aims to unify various technologies and protocols into a single firmware. This reduces the need for multiple physical bridges and streamlines diverse technologies under the widely used MQTT protocol. Sponsors Documentation The documentation is here New to OpenMQTTGateway? Follow the Getting Started guide to flash a board from your browser and see your first sensor data in about 15 minutes. The reference sheet, with the list of all functions, pinouts is here Upload Upload OpenMQTTGateway directly from the upload page (no additional software required) or build your own configuration with PlatformIO…
read the full OpenMQTTGateway overview →
About emhass
Energy Management for Home Assistant EMHASS is a Python module designed to optimize your home energy interfacing with Home Assistant. Introduction EMHASS (Energy Management for Home Assistant) is an optimization tool designed for residential households. The package uses a Linear Programming approach to optimize energy usage while considering factors such as electricity prices, power generation from solar panels, and energy storage from batteries. EMHASS provides a high degree of configurability, making it easy to integrate with Home Assistant and other smart home systems. Whether you have solar panels, energy…
read the full emhass overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenMQTTGateway or emhass more popular?
OpenMQTTGateway has 4,117 GitHub stars and emhass has 726. OpenMQTTGateway has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenMQTTGateway and emhass free?
Both are open source. OpenMQTTGateway is licensed under GPL-3.0 and emhass under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between OpenMQTTGateway and emhass?
OpenMQTTGateway is written in C++ and emhass in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, OpenMQTTGateway or emhass?
Choose OpenMQTTGateway if you want the larger community (4,117 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose emhass if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.