head to head · open source
operating-system vs OpenMQTTGateway
operating-system has 7,492 GitHub stars, 1,293 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. OpenMQTTGateway has 4,096 stars, 906 forks, 48 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. operating-system leads on adoption by 83% (7,492 vs 4,096 stars). operating-system is written in Python under Apache-2.0; OpenMQTTGateway is written in C++ under GPL-3.0. operating-system has attracted 17% as many forks as stars, OpenMQTTGateway 22%. operating-system 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 | OpenMQTTGateway | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 7.5K | ★ 4.1K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-23 | 2026-09-21 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.3K | ⑂ 906 |
| 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 OpenMQTTGateway if
- You want the OpenMQTTGateway feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and OpenMQTTGateway 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 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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is operating-system or OpenMQTTGateway more popular?
operating-system has 7,492 GitHub stars and OpenMQTTGateway has 4,096. operating-system has the larger community by that measure.
Are operating-system and OpenMQTTGateway free?
Both are open source. operating-system is licensed under Apache-2.0 and OpenMQTTGateway under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between operating-system and OpenMQTTGateway?
operating-system is written in Python and OpenMQTTGateway 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, operating-system or OpenMQTTGateway?
Choose operating-system if you want the larger community (7,492 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose OpenMQTTGateway if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.