evcc 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.
evcc
Solar-aware electric vehicle charging controller
VS
Zwave-JS Server
Small server wrapping the Z-Wave JS driver over WebSocket
| Feature | evcc | Zwave-JS Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 74 · Good |
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,283 | ★ 164 |
| First released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Replaces | SmartThings | SmartThings |
What are evcc and Zwave-JS Server?
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
Zwave-JS Server
Z-Wave JS Server is a small server that exposes the Z-Wave JS driver over a WebSocket API. It allows multiple clients, such as Home Assistant, to control a Z-Wave network simultaneously.
- WebSocket Z-Wave API
- Multi-client support
- Built on Z-Wave JS
- Lightweight server
evcc vs Zwave-JS Server: key differences
Evcc is written in Go, while Zwave-JS Server is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for evcc versus Apache-2.0 for Zwave-JS Server. Zwave-JS Server is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for evcc. Evcc is the more established project (first released 2019), while Zwave-JS Server arrived in 2021. Evcc has the considerably larger community, at 7,283 GitHub stars versus 164.
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 Zwave-JS Server if…
- Decouples driver from clients
- Reliable
Watch out for
- Headless, no UI
- Z-Wave only
Frequently asked questions
Is evcc or Zwave-JS Server better?
Neither is universally better. evcc has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are evcc and Zwave-JS Server free and open-source?
Yes. evcc is licensed under MIT and Zwave-JS Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run evcc and Zwave-JS Server with Docker?
evcc: yes. Zwave-JS Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, evcc or Zwave-JS Server?
Zwave-JS Server has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for evcc. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.