WLED vs Find My Device
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?
WLED
Firmware for controlling addressable LED strips
VS
Find My Device
Server for saving location data send by FMD
| Feature | WLED | Find My Device |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Language | C++ | |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 16 MB | 70 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 18,518 | — |
| First released | 2016 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Philips Hue | Googles FindMyDevice |
Why pick each one
Choose Find My Device if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0-or-later license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Tiny footprint — runs in 70 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is WLED or Find My Device better?
Neither is universally better. WLED has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are WLED and Find My Device free and open-source?
Yes. WLED is licensed under MIT and Find My Device under GPL-3.0-or-later. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run WLED and Find My Device with Docker?
WLED: check the project docs for container support. Find My Device: check the project docs for container support.