head to head · open source
frontend vs tagreader
frontend has 5,783 GitHub stars, 3,947 forks, 383 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. tagreader has 1,623 stars, 219 forks, 48 open issues and last shipped 6 months ago. frontend leads on adoption by 256% (5,783 vs 1,623 stars). frontend is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; tagreader is written in Shell under GPL-3.0. frontend has attracted 68% as many forks as stars, tagreader 13%. frontend was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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
| frontend | tagreader | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 5.8K | ★ 1.6K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Shell |
| Last push | 2026-11-05 | 2026-04-27 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.9K | ⑂ 219 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick frontend if
- You weight community size — 5.8K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick tagreader if
- You want the tagreader feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Shell
- You evaluated both and tagreader fits your workflow better
About frontend
Home Assistant Frontend This is the repository for the official Home Assistant frontend. View demo of Home Assistant More information about Home Assistant Frontend development instructions Development Initial setup: script/setup Development: Instructions Production build: pnpm build Gallery: cd gallery && script/develop gallery Frontend development Classic environment A complete guide can be found at the following link. It describes a short guide for the build of project. License Home Assistant is open source and Apache 2 licensed. Feel free to browse the repository, learn and reuse parts in your own projects…
read the full frontend overview →
About tagreader
Tag Reader for Home Assistant The tag reader is a simple to build/use NFC tag reader, specially created for Home Assistant. It is using a D1 mini ESP 8266 and the PN532 NFC module. The firmware is built using ESPhome. I am selling a pre built version, a DIY version (assembly required), or just the case (use with own components). Check it out on my website. Building the tag reader To build your own tag reader, you need the following components: ESP8266 D1 Mini PN532 NFC Reader WS2812 Buzzer The 3D models for the case are here. WARNING regarding AZdelivery D1. We have had several users contacting us with different…
read the full tagreader 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 frontend or tagreader more popular?
frontend has 5,783 GitHub stars and tagreader has 1,623. frontend has the larger community by that measure.
Are frontend and tagreader free?
Both are open source. frontend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and tagreader under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between frontend and tagreader?
frontend is written in TypeScript and tagreader in Shell. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, frontend or tagreader?
Choose frontend if you want the larger community (5,783 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose tagreader if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.