OpenCCU is a free, non-commercial, open-source Buildroot-based operating system that turns Homematic IP and HomeMatic hardware into a cloud-free smart-home hub, aimed at owners of eQ-3 CCU3 or ELV Charly hardware, Raspberry Pi and other single-board computers, and x86_64 or aarch64 hosts who want vendor-grade CCU behaviour without depending on a vendor cloud.

What it is

OpenCCU is an operating system image and deployment target for running a Homematic IP and HomeMatic smart-home hub. It was formerly known as RaspberryMatic, is written primarily in JavaScript, is licensed under Apache-2.0, and packages a Buildroot-based Linux system together with the CCU WebUI and add-on ecosystem. The project describes itself as targeting 100% compatibility with eQ-3's CCU3, so existing device pairings, WebUI workflows, and add-ons continue to work rather than being reimplemented.

The concrete problem it solves is dependency on the vendor firmware and the cloud services that accompany it. Instead of staying on the stock CCU3 firmware image, an operator installs OpenCCU directly on the same CCU3 or ELV Charly hardware, on a 64-bit capable single-board computer, on generic x86_64 or aarch64 hardware, or as a virtual appliance, and keeps the same Homematic and Homematic IP devices and WebUI. Backups are cross-compatible, which makes migrating in either direction between the vendor firmware and OpenCCU straightforward.

Key capabilities

• Drop-in compatibility with the same Homematic and Homematic IP hardware, WebUI features, and add-on ecosystem as the vendor CCU firmware.
• Backup interchangeability between the vendor CCU firmware and OpenCCU, enabling migration in both directions.
• Direct installation on CCU3 and ELV Charly hardware, plus common 64-bit capable SBCs such as Raspberry Pi, Hardkernel ODROID, and ASUS Tinkerboard 2/2S.
• Generic x86_64 and aarch64 support for non-SBC hosts.
• Pure virtual appliance images for Proxmox VE, VirtualBox, and Synology VMM, alongside Docker/OCI, LXC, and Kubernetes deployment targets.
• Native Home Assistant App packaging.
• Enhancements beyond the vendor firmware covering WebUI improvements, Linux OS updates, stability and performance fixes, and capabilities that do not yet exist upstream.
• Buildroot-based builds produced through a CI Build workflow, with snapshot images published under the snapshots release tag in addition to tagged releases.

Who uses it and how

• CCU3 and ELV Charly owners who want to keep their existing Homematic and Homematic IP devices and add-ons but move off the vendor firmware image.
• Home-automation builders running Raspberry Pi, ODROID, or ASUS Tinkerboard 2/2S boards as the hub for a single household installation.
• Proxmox VE, VirtualBox, and Synology VMM operators who prefer to run the hub as a virtual appliance on hardware they already manage.
• Docker/OCI, LXC, and Kubernetes users who deploy the hub as a container workload alongside their other services.
• Home Assistant users who install OpenCCU as a native App rather than operating a separate physical CCU.
• Operators migrating in either direction, using the cross-compatible backup format to move an existing CCU configuration onto OpenCCU or back.

Getting started

Install OpenCCU directly onto CCU3 or ELV Charly hardware, or download the image for a 64-bit SBC or x86_64/aarch64 host from the GitHub releases page (tagged releases and the snapshots tag). Alternatively deploy it as a virtual appliance on Proxmox VE, VirtualBox, or Synology VMM, as a Docker/OCI or LXC container, on Kubernetes, or as a native Home Assistant App; project documentation lives at openccu.de and in the repository wiki.

How it compares

Within this registry, the closest point of comparison named in the facts is the vendor CCU3 firmware that OpenCCU is built to replace while keeping 100% compatibility, rather than a paid alternative product list. It also sits alongside Home Assistant, where it can be installed as a native App, and alongside general virtualisation and container platforms such as Proxmox VE, VirtualBox, Synology VMM, Docker/OCI, and Kubernetes, which it treats as deployment targets rather than competitors.

When to use it — and when not to

A self-hoster must supply and maintain the host itself, whether that is CCU3 or ELV Charly hardware, a supported SBC, an x86_64 or aarch64 machine, or a hypervisor and container platform, and must be willing to follow wiki-based instructions that are partly written in German. Anyone unwilling to run and update their own hub host, or who needs a supported commercial product with vendor support contracts, should not choose it. The repository also carries a notable open-issue load (189 open issues against 1,831 stars and 221 forks), and the README excerpt supplied here documents deployment targets in more detail than day-to-day operational procedures, so prospective users should read the wiki before committing.