head to head · open source
tagreader vs homeassistant_espscreen
tagreader has 1,623 GitHub stars, 219 forks, 48 open issues and last shipped 6 months ago. homeassistant_espscreen has 1,038 stars, 151 forks, 60 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. tagreader leads on adoption by 56% (1,623 vs 1,038 stars). tagreader is written in Shell under GPL-3.0; homeassistant_espscreen is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. tagreader has attracted 13% as many forks as stars, homeassistant_espscreen 15%. homeassistant_espscreen was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (esphome), 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
| tagreader | homeassistant_espscreen | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 1.6K | ★ 1.0K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Shell | Python |
| Last push | 2026-04-27 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 219 | ⑂ 151 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick tagreader if
- You weight community size — 1.6K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Shell
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick homeassistant_espscreen if
- You want the homeassistant_espscreen feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and homeassistant_espscreen fits your workflow better
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 →
About homeassistant_espscreen
Tessera Touch screens for Home Assistant. A screen for every room, one simple editor. Website · Quick start · Supported screens · Community · My screen works Tessera is not in the standard App store. This button adds its repository to your Home Assistant. After that, Tessera Screen Manager is in the store like any other app. Tessera is the new name for ESP Screens. In Home Assistant the app is called Tessera Screen Manager and its panel Tessera (app 0.3.18); the repository, the add on and your screens stay exactly as they are. Looking for e ink? Tessera is for colour LCD touch screens. For calm dashboards on e…
read the full homeassistant_espscreen overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is tagreader or homeassistant_espscreen more popular?
tagreader has 1,623 GitHub stars and homeassistant_espscreen has 1,038. tagreader has the larger community by that measure.
Are tagreader and homeassistant_espscreen free?
Both are open source. tagreader is licensed under GPL-3.0 and homeassistant_espscreen under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between tagreader and homeassistant_espscreen?
tagreader is written in Shell and homeassistant_espscreen in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, tagreader or homeassistant_espscreen?
Choose tagreader if you want the larger community (1,623 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose homeassistant_espscreen if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.