SHSelfHostIndex

WLED vs OpenRemote

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 OP OpenRemote IoT Asset management, Flow Rules and WHEN-THEN rules, Data
FeatureWLEDOpenRemote
CategoryHome AutomationHome Automation
LicenseMITAGPL-3.0
LanguageC++Java
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM16 MB512 MB
Deploymentbinary, sourcebare-metal
GitHub stars★ 18,518★ 1,835
First released20162026
ReplacesPhilips Hue—

Why pick each one

Choose WLED if…

  • Easy to flash and use
  • Vibrant effects
WLED details

Choose OpenRemote if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Java
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
OpenRemote details

Frequently asked questions

Is WLED or OpenRemote better?

WLED is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider OpenRemote if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are WLED and OpenRemote free and open-source?

Yes. WLED is licensed under MIT and OpenRemote under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run WLED and OpenRemote with Docker?

WLED: check the project docs for container support. OpenRemote: check the project docs for container support.

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