WLED vs SmartIR
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
SmartIR
Climate, TV, and fan control via IR controllers
| Feature | WLED | SmartIR |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | C++ | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 16 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 18,518 | ★ 236 |
| First released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Philips Hue | Sensibo |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is WLED or SmartIR 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 SmartIR free and open-source?
Yes. WLED is licensed under MIT and SmartIR under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run WLED and SmartIR with Docker?
WLED: check the project docs for container support. SmartIR: check the project docs for container support.