EMQX vs Theengs Gateway
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?
| Feature | EMQX | Theengs Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Erlang | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 16,599 | ★ 171 |
| First released | 2026 | 2022 |
| Replaces | — | SmartThings Hub |
Why pick each one
Choose EMQX if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 16.6k GitHub stars
- Written in Erlang
Choose Theengs Gateway if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is EMQX or Theengs Gateway better?
Neither is universally better. EMQX has the larger community, while Theengs Gateway is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are EMQX and Theengs Gateway free and open-source?
Yes. EMQX is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Theengs Gateway under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run EMQX and Theengs Gateway with Docker?
EMQX: yes. Theengs Gateway: yes.