ESPHome 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.
ESPHome
Configure ESP devices with simple YAML
VS
Gladys Assistant
Privacy-first home automation platform for everyone
| Feature | ESPHome | Gladys Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 93 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,722 | ★ 3,201 |
| First released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Replaces | SmartThings | SmartThings, Google Home |
What are ESPHome and Gladys Assistant?
ESPHome
ESPHome is a system to create custom firmware for ESP32 and ESP8266 microcontrollers using simple YAML configuration. It targets makers building DIY smart home sensors and devices. It is deployed via Docker or as a Home Assistant add-on.
- YAML-defined device firmware
- Tight Home Assistant integration
- Over-the-air updates
- Huge component library
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
ESPHome vs Gladys Assistant: key differences
ESPHome is written in C++, while Gladys Assistant is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for ESPHome versus Apache-2.0 for Gladys Assistant. ESPHome has the considerably larger community, at 11,722 GitHub stars versus 3,201.
Why pick each one
Choose ESPHome if…
- No coding needed for devices
- Great with Home Assistant
- OTA updates
Watch out for
- Hardware-focused
- Requires ESP microcontrollers
Choose Gladys Assistant if…
- Strong privacy focus
- Beginner-friendly
Watch out for
- Smaller integration catalog
- Less powerful automations than HA
Frequently asked questions
Is ESPHome or Gladys Assistant better?
Neither is universally better. ESPHome 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 ESPHome and Gladys Assistant free and open-source?
Yes. ESPHome 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 ESPHome and Gladys Assistant with Docker?
ESPHome: yes. Gladys Assistant: yes.