head to head · open source
tagreader vs homeThing
tagreader has 1,607 GitHub stars, 212 forks, 48 open issues and last shipped 5 months ago. homeThing has 546 stars, 42 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped 26 days ago. tagreader leads on adoption by 194% (1,607 vs 546 stars). tagreader is written in Shell under GPL-3.0; homeThing is written in C++ under GPL-3.0. tagreader has attracted 13% 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 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.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| tagreader | homeThing | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 1.6K | ★ 546 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Shell | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-04-27 | 2026-08-27 |
| Forks | ⑂ 212 | ⑂ 42 |
| 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 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 tagreader
tagreader is a GPL 3.0 NFC tag reader built from an ESP8266 D1 Mini and a PN532 module running ESPHome firmware, created specifically so that Home Assistant users can scan physical tags and manage them inside Home Assistant.
read the full tagreader overview →
About homeThing
homeThing is a collection of open source hardware and software — a 3D printable ESP32 remote, an ESPHome menu system, and components for controlling Home Assistant devices — for makers and Home Assistant users who want a battery powered physical remote with a screen and scroll wheel instead of a touch screen.
read the full homeThing 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 tagreader or homeThing more popular?
tagreader has 1,607 GitHub stars and homeThing has 546. tagreader has the larger community by that measure.
Are tagreader and homeThing free?
Both are open source. tagreader is licensed under GPL-3.0 and homeThing under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between tagreader and homeThing?
tagreader is written in Shell 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, tagreader or homeThing?
Choose tagreader if you want the larger community (1,607 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.