OpenMQTTGateway vs Mosquitto
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?
OpenMQTTGateway
Bridge for RF, IR, BLE, and sensors to MQTT
VS
Mosquitto
Lightweight MQTT message broker
| Feature | OpenMQTTGateway | Mosquitto |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | EPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,073 | ★ 11,101 |
| First released | 2016 | 2009 |
| Replaces | SmartThings Hub | SmartThings |
Why pick each one
Choose OpenMQTTGateway if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (4.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Mosquitto if…
- Extremely lightweight
- Rock-solid reliability
- Ubiquitous in smart homes
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenMQTTGateway or Mosquitto better?
Mosquitto is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider OpenMQTTGateway if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are OpenMQTTGateway and Mosquitto free and open-source?
Yes. OpenMQTTGateway is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Mosquitto under EPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenMQTTGateway and Mosquitto with Docker?
OpenMQTTGateway: check the project docs for container support. Mosquitto: yes.