head to head · open source
operating-system vs self-host
operating-system has 7,618 GitHub stars, 1,329 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped yesterday. self-host has 1,490 stars, 62 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped yesterday. operating-system leads on adoption by 411% (7,618 vs 1,490 stars). operating-system is written in Python under Apache-2.0; self-host is written in Go under Apache-2.0. operating-system has attracted 17% as many forks as stars, self-host 4%. self-host 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 | self-host | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 7.6K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.3K | ⑂ 62 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick operating-system if
- You weight community size — 7.6K 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 self-host if
- You want the self-host feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and self-host fits your workflow better
About operating-system
Home Assistant Operating System Home Assistant Operating System (formerly HassOS) is a Linux based operating system optimized to host Home Assistant and its Apps. Home Assistant Operating System uses Docker as its container engine. By default it deploys the Home Assistant Supervisor as a container. Home Assistant Supervisor in turn uses the Docker container engine to control Home Assistant Core and Apps in separate containers. Home Assistant Operating System is not based on a regular Linux distribution like Ubuntu. It is built using Buildroot and it is optimized to run Home Assistant. It targets single board…
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About self-host
self host Try self hosted apps from your terminal. Website · Docs · Showreel · Discord self host is a terminal UI for getting self hosted Apps running with Docker Compose. Pick an App, let it set up an account and connect the Apps it supports, then try it. It's meant for people getting started, or anyone who wants to try an App before adding it to their own setup. Think of it as a small terminal based alternative to Portainer, with App setup included. If you already have a setup you're happy with, you don't need this. It manages its own Compose Project, not your existing containers. Get started You need Docker…
read the full self-host overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is operating-system or self-host more popular?
operating-system has 7,618 GitHub stars and self-host has 1,490. operating-system has the larger community by that measure.
Are operating-system and self-host free?
Both are open source. operating-system is licensed under Apache-2.0 and self-host under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between operating-system and self-host?
operating-system is written in Python and self-host in Go. 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 self-host?
Choose operating-system if you want the larger community (7,618 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose self-host if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.