head to head · open source
python-miio vs steve
python-miio has 4,307 GitHub stars, 601 forks, 313 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. steve has 1,128 stars, 500 forks, 91 open issues and last shipped yesterday. python-miio leads on adoption by 282% (4,307 vs 1,128 stars). python-miio is written in Python under GPL-3.0; steve is written in Java under GPL-3.0. python-miio has attracted 14% as many forks as stars, steve 44%. steve was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (smart-home), 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.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| python-miio | steve | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 4.3K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Java |
| Last push | 2026-07-25 | 2026-09-26 |
| Forks | ⑂ 601 | ⑂ 500 |
| 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 steve if
- You want the steve feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and steve fits your workflow better
About python-miio
python miio is a Python library and console tool for controlling Xiaomi smart appliances. It supports devices using Xiaomi's miIO and MIoT protocols, and it provides programmatic access through Python and command line access through miiocli. The project lives in the Python home automation ecosystem, and its topics connect it to Home Assistant and Xiaomi smart home control.
read the full python-miio overview →
About steve
SteVe is an open source OCPP server implementation in Java: a charging station management system (CSMS, also described as a CPMS) that lets charge point operators, manufacturers and developers administer charge points, user data and RFID authentication cards on infrastructure they control.
read the full steve overview →
More in Miscellaneous
Related comparisons
More Internet of Things (IoT) projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Internet of Things (IoT) field.
Frequently asked questions
Is python-miio or steve more popular?
python-miio has 4,307 GitHub stars and steve has 1,128. python-miio has the larger community by that measure.
Are python-miio and steve free?
Both are open source. python-miio is licensed under GPL-3.0 and steve under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between python-miio and steve?
python-miio is written in Python and steve in Java. 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 steve?
Choose python-miio if you want the larger community (4,307 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose steve if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.