head to head · open source
OpenMQTTGateway vs IRremoteESP8266
OpenMQTTGateway has 4,094 GitHub stars, 906 forks, 48 open issues and last shipped today. IRremoteESP8266 has 3,601 stars, 933 forks, 105 open issues and last shipped 28 days ago. OpenMQTTGateway leads on adoption by 14% (4,094 vs 3,601 stars). OpenMQTTGateway is written in C++ under GPL-3.0; IRremoteESP8266 is written in C++ under LGPL-2.1. OpenMQTTGateway has attracted 22% as many forks as stars, IRremoteESP8266 26%. OpenMQTTGateway was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 4 topic tags (arduino, esp32, esp8266, 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 | IRremoteESP8266 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 4.1K | ★ 3.6K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Written in | C++ | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-20 | 2026-08-23 |
| Forks | ⑂ 906 | ⑂ 933 |
| 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 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 OpenMQTTGateway
OpenMQTTGateway is an open source C++ gateway firmware for ESP8266 and ESP32 boards that connects local radio and sensor protocols to MQTT. It lives in the home automation ecosystem and is associated with Home Assistant, OpenHAB, NodeRed, and AWS IOT. The project aims to unify various technologies and protocols into a single firmware, reducing the need for multiple physical bridges.
read the full OpenMQTTGateway 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 OpenMQTTGateway or IRremoteESP8266 more popular?
OpenMQTTGateway has 4,094 GitHub stars and IRremoteESP8266 has 3,601. OpenMQTTGateway has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenMQTTGateway and IRremoteESP8266 free?
Both are open source. OpenMQTTGateway is licensed under GPL-3.0 and IRremoteESP8266 under LGPL-2.1. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between OpenMQTTGateway and IRremoteESP8266?
OpenMQTTGateway is written in C++ 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, OpenMQTTGateway or IRremoteESP8266?
Choose OpenMQTTGateway if you want the larger community (4,094 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.