evcc vs openHAB
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted home automation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
evcc
Solar-aware electric vehicle charging controller
VS
openHAB
Vendor-neutral open-source home automation
| Feature | evcc | openHAB |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 79 · Good |
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | MIT | EPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,283 | ★ 1,142 |
| First released | 2019 | 2010 |
| Replaces | SmartThings | SmartThings, Google Home |
What are evcc and openHAB?
evcc
evcc is an open-source EV charging controller that optimizes charging around solar production and electricity prices. It targets EV owners with solar or dynamic tariffs. It is deployed via Docker or a binary.
- Solar-optimized EV charging
- Dynamic tariff support
- Many wallbox integrations
- Home Assistant integration
openHAB
openHAB is a vendor-neutral, open-source home automation platform that integrates many devices and technologies behind one system. It targets smart home enthusiasts wanting deep configurability. It is deployed via Docker or native packages.
- Hundreds of device bindings
- Powerful rule engine
- Runs fully offline
- Cross-platform
evcc vs openHAB: key differences
Evcc is written in Go, while openHAB is built with Java. Licensing differs — MIT for evcc versus EPL-2.0 for openHAB. Evcc is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for openHAB. OpenHAB is the more established project (first released 2010), while evcc arrived in 2019. Evcc has the considerably larger community, at 7,283 GitHub stars versus 1,142.
Why pick each one
Choose evcc if…
- Maximizes solar self-use
- Wide hardware support
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Niche use case
- Requires compatible hardware
Choose openHAB if…
- Very flexible
- Vendor neutral
- Mature project
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Heavier Java runtime
Frequently asked questions
Is evcc or openHAB better?
evcc is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider openHAB if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are evcc and openHAB free and open-source?
Yes. evcc is licensed under MIT and openHAB under EPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run evcc and openHAB with Docker?
evcc: yes. openHAB: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, evcc or openHAB?
evcc has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for openHAB. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.