head to head · open source
python-miio vs HomeKey-ESP32
python-miio has 4,335 GitHub stars, 602 forks, 313 open issues and last shipped 3 months ago. HomeKey-ESP32 has 1,116 stars, 101 forks, 47 open issues and last shipped 19 days ago. python-miio leads on adoption by 288% (4,335 vs 1,116 stars). python-miio is written in Python under GPL-3.0; HomeKey-ESP32 is written in C++ under MIT. python-miio has attracted 14% as many forks as stars, HomeKey-ESP32 9%. HomeKey-ESP32 was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (home-assistant, 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
| python-miio | HomeKey-ESP32 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 4.3K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-07-25 | 2026-10-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 602 | ⑂ 101 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick python-miio if
- You weight community size — 4.3K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick HomeKey-ESP32 if
- You want the HomeKey-ESP32 feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and HomeKey-ESP32 fits your workflow better
About python-miio
python miio This library (and its accompanying cli tool, miiocli ) can be used to control devices using Xiaomi's miIO and MIoT protocols. This is a voluntary, community driven effort and is not affiliated with any of the companies whose devices are supported by this library. Issue reports and pull requests are welcome, see contributing! The full documentation is available at python miio.readthedocs.io. Installation Getting started Controlling modern (MIoT) devices Controlling older (miIO) devices Troubleshooting API usage Contributing Simulators Supported devices Projects using this library Other related…
read the full python-miio overview →
About HomeKey-ESP32
HomeKey ESP32 Apple HomeKey functionality for the rest of us Documentation What is HomeKey ESP32? The project aims to be the easy DIY solution for using Apple's HomeKey feature without the need to purchase a compatible smart lock that you probably don't want. HomeKey ESP32 brings Apple's secure NFC based unlocking to an ESP32 module near you, enabling you to unlock doors and whatnot with a simple tap of your iPhone or Apple Watch. No proprietary hardware required – just an ESP32 and one of the supported NFC modules [!WARNING] The flash memory is not encrypted as this kinda started as a pet project of mine but a…
read the full HomeKey-ESP32 overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is python-miio or HomeKey-ESP32 more popular?
python-miio has 4,335 GitHub stars and HomeKey-ESP32 has 1,116. python-miio has the larger community by that measure.
Are python-miio and HomeKey-ESP32 free?
Both are open source. python-miio is licensed under GPL-3.0 and HomeKey-ESP32 under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between python-miio and HomeKey-ESP32?
python-miio is written in Python and HomeKey-ESP32 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, python-miio or HomeKey-ESP32?
Choose python-miio if you want the larger community (4,335 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose HomeKey-ESP32 if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.