head to head · open source
ring vs HomeKey-ESP32
ring has 1,542 GitHub stars, 225 forks, 37 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. HomeKey-ESP32 has 1,118 stars, 106 forks, 47 open issues and last shipped 23 days ago. ring leads on adoption by 38% (1,542 vs 1,118 stars). ring is written in TypeScript under MIT; HomeKey-ESP32 is written in C++ under MIT. ring has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, HomeKey-ESP32 9%. ring was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (homekit), 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
| ring | HomeKey-ESP32 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 1.5K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-11-07 | 2026-10-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 225 | ⑂ 106 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick ring if
- You weight community size — 1.5K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- 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 ring
Ring This repo contains unofficial packages to enable interaction and automation with the majority of Ring products Troubleshooting Issues If you are having issues, please look for related articles in the wiki and search existing Issues before opening a new Issue/Discussion ring client api The ring client api is a TypeScript package designed to be used by developers to create your own apps/programs which interact with Rings api homebridge ring homebridge ring allows users to easily integrate Ring products into Apple HomeKit via homebridge Examples See the examples directory for examples using the ring client api…
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 →
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 ring or HomeKey-ESP32 more popular?
ring has 1,542 GitHub stars and HomeKey-ESP32 has 1,118. ring has the larger community by that measure.
Are ring and HomeKey-ESP32 free?
Both are open source. ring is licensed under MIT and HomeKey-ESP32 under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between ring and HomeKey-ESP32?
ring is written in TypeScript 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, ring or HomeKey-ESP32?
Choose ring if you want the larger community (1,542 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose HomeKey-ESP32 if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.