ESPHome vs Bubble Card
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?
ESPHome
Configure ESP devices with simple YAML
VS
Bubble Card
Minimalist mobile-first card pack for Home Assistant
| Feature | ESPHome | Bubble Card |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | C++ | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,505 | ★ 4,481 |
| First released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Replaces | SmartThings | SmartThings app |
Why pick each one
Choose Bubble Card if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (4.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is ESPHome or Bubble Card better?
Neither is universally better. ESPHome has the larger community, while Bubble Card is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ESPHome and Bubble Card free and open-source?
Yes. ESPHome is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Bubble Card under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ESPHome and Bubble Card with Docker?
ESPHome: yes. Bubble Card: check the project docs for container support.