head to head · open source
python-miio vs homeThing
python-miio has 4,335 GitHub stars, 602 forks, 313 open issues and last shipped 3 months ago. homeThing has 549 stars, 42 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped 11 days ago. python-miio leads on adoption by 690% (4,335 vs 549 stars). python-miio is written in Python under GPL-3.0; homeThing is written in C++ under GPL-3.0. python-miio has attracted 14% as many forks as stars, homeThing 8%. homeThing 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 | homeThing | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 4.3K | ★ 549 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-07-25 | 2026-10-25 |
| Forks | ⑂ 602 | ⑂ 42 |
| 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 homeThing if
- You want the homeThing 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 homeThing 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 homeThing
homeThing Remote ⚙️ (esphome remote) homeThing is a collection of software and hardware for creating universal remotes that control smart home devices. There are 3 components that belong to homeThing: the case and circuit board, the menu system code, and the code to control smart home devices Hardware specific for smart home remotes that's open source, customizable, and 3D printable. Menu system for ESP32 devices focused on controlling smart home devices similar to an iPod's menu. ESPHome Components for controlling Home Assistant devices. Check out the next generation homeThing C6 Learn More Get Started Learn…
read the full homeThing overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is python-miio or homeThing more popular?
python-miio has 4,335 GitHub stars and homeThing has 549. python-miio has the larger community by that measure.
Are python-miio and homeThing free?
Both are open source. python-miio is licensed under GPL-3.0 and homeThing under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between python-miio and homeThing?
python-miio is written in Python and homeThing 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 homeThing?
Choose python-miio if you want the larger community (4,335 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose homeThing if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.