SHSelfHostIndex

OpenHAB Cloud vs Zwave-JS Server

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?
OP OpenHAB Cloud Companion cloud service for remote openHAB access VS ZW Zwave-JS Server Small server wrapping the Z-Wave JS driver over WebSocket
FeatureOpenHAB CloudZwave-JS Server
CategoryHome AutomationHome Automation
LicenseEPL-2.0Apache-2.0
LanguageTypeScriptTypeScript
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM512 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 306★ 162
First released20142021
ReplacesSmartThingsSmartThings

Why pick each one

Choose OpenHAB Cloud if…

  • Keeps data under your control
  • Enables remote control
OpenHAB Cloud details

Choose Zwave-JS Server if…

  • Decouples driver from clients
  • Reliable
Zwave-JS Server details

Frequently asked questions

Is OpenHAB Cloud or Zwave-JS Server better?

Neither is universally better. OpenHAB Cloud has the larger community, while Zwave-JS Server is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are OpenHAB Cloud and Zwave-JS Server free and open-source?

Yes. OpenHAB Cloud is licensed under EPL-2.0 and Zwave-JS Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run OpenHAB Cloud and Zwave-JS Server with Docker?

OpenHAB Cloud: yes. Zwave-JS Server: yes.

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