head to head · open source
operating-system vs midea_ac_lan
operating-system has 7,535 GitHub stars, 1,307 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. midea_ac_lan has 1,909 stars, 168 forks, 92 open issues and last shipped today. operating-system leads on adoption by 295% (7,535 vs 1,909 stars). operating-system is written in Python under Apache-2.0; midea_ac_lan is written in Python under MIT. operating-system has attracted 17% as many forks as stars, midea_ac_lan 9%. midea_ac_lan was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (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
| operating-system | midea_ac_lan | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 7.5K | ★ 1.9K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-10-12 | 2026-10-14 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.3K | ⑂ 168 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick operating-system if
- You weight community size — 7.5K 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 midea_ac_lan if
- You want the midea_ac_lan feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and midea_ac_lan fits your workflow better
About operating-system
The Home Assistant Operating System is a Linux based operating system built specifically to host Home Assistant and its Apps, intended for people running Home Assistant on a single board computer such as a Raspberry Pi or ODROID, or on an x86 64 machine with UEFI firmware.
read the full operating-system overview →
About midea_ac_lan
midea ac lan is a Home Assistant integration written in Python that auto configures and then controls Midea M Smart appliances — air conditioners, fans, water heaters, washers and more — over the local network, and it is built for smart home owners who want to run those appliances inside Home Assistant rather than through Midea's cloud apps.
read the full midea_ac_lan overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is operating-system or midea_ac_lan more popular?
operating-system has 7,535 GitHub stars and midea_ac_lan has 1,909. operating-system has the larger community by that measure.
Are operating-system and midea_ac_lan free?
Both are open source. operating-system is licensed under Apache-2.0 and midea_ac_lan under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between operating-system and midea_ac_lan?
operating-system is written in Python and midea_ac_lan 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, operating-system or midea_ac_lan?
Choose operating-system if you want the larger community (7,535 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose midea_ac_lan if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.