SHSelfHostIndex

WLED 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?
WL WLED Firmware for controlling addressable LED strips VS TH Theengs Gateway BLE-to-MQTT gateway for hundreds of sensors
FeatureWLEDTheengs Gateway
CategoryHome AutomationHome Automation
LicenseMITGPL-3.0
LanguageC++Python
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM16 MB128 MB
Deploymentbinary, sourcedocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 18,518★ 171
First released20162022
ReplacesPhilips HueSmartThings Hub

Why pick each one

Choose WLED if…

  • Easy to flash and use
  • Vibrant effects
WLED details

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
Theengs Gateway details

Frequently asked questions

Is WLED or Theengs Gateway 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 Theengs Gateway free and open-source?

Yes. WLED is licensed under MIT and Theengs Gateway under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run WLED and Theengs Gateway with Docker?

WLED: check the project docs for container support. Theengs Gateway: yes.

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