Domoticz vs Gladys Assistant
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted home automation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Domoticz | Gladys Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,811 | ★ 3,201 |
| First released | 2012 | 2017 |
| Replaces | SmartThings | SmartThings, Google Home |
What are Domoticz and Gladys Assistant?
Domoticz
Domoticz is a lightweight home automation system for monitoring and configuring various devices like sensors, switches, and meters. It targets users wanting an efficient automation hub on modest hardware. It is deployed via Docker or packages.
- Runs well on low-power hardware
- Supports many sensor protocols
- Scripting and events
- Mobile-friendly UI
Gladys Assistant
Gladys Assistant is a privacy-first, open-source home automation program that runs locally on your hardware. It controls smart devices, scenes, and schedules through a clean web and mobile interface.
- Runs fully locally
- Device, scene, and schedule control
- Clean web and mobile UI
- Energy monitoring
Domoticz vs Gladys Assistant: key differences
Domoticz is written in C++, while Gladys Assistant is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Domoticz versus Apache-2.0 for Gladys Assistant. Domoticz is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Gladys Assistant. Domoticz is the more established project (first released 2012), while Gladys Assistant arrived in 2017.
Why pick each one
Choose Domoticz if…
- Very lightweight
- Good on Raspberry Pi
- Stable
Watch out for
- Dated interface
- Smaller community than Home Assistant
Choose Gladys Assistant if…
- Strong privacy focus
- Beginner-friendly
Watch out for
- Smaller integration catalog
- Less powerful automations than HA
Frequently asked questions
Is Domoticz or Gladys Assistant better?
Neither is universally better. Domoticz has the larger community, while Gladys Assistant is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Domoticz and Gladys Assistant free and open-source?
Yes. Domoticz is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Gladys Assistant under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Domoticz and Gladys Assistant with Docker?
Domoticz: yes. Gladys Assistant: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Domoticz or Gladys Assistant?
Domoticz has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Gladys Assistant. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.