Calaos vs SmartHomeNG
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted home automation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Calaos
Free home automation platform with touchscreen UI
VS
SmartHomeNG
Modular home automation framework with KNX focus
| Feature | Calaos | SmartHomeNG |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Shell | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | bare-metal, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 73 | ★ 127 |
| First released | 2013 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Loxone | Loxone |
Why pick each one
Choose SmartHomeNG if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Calaos or SmartHomeNG better?
Neither is universally better. SmartHomeNG has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Calaos and SmartHomeNG free and open-source?
Yes. Calaos is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SmartHomeNG under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Calaos and SmartHomeNG with Docker?
Calaos: check the project docs for container support. SmartHomeNG: yes.