FHEM vs Jeedom
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted home automation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
FHEM
Perl-based server for home automation tasks
VS
Jeedom
Flexible open-source home automation platform
| Feature | FHEM | Jeedom |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 62 · Good | 78 · Good |
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Perl | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22 | ★ 415 |
| First released | 2005 | 2013 |
| Replaces | SmartThings | SmartThings, Hubitat |
What are FHEM and Jeedom?
FHEM
FHEM is a long-standing, GPL-licensed server for home automation used to control lights, heating, alarms, and many other devices. It supports a vast range of protocols through community modules.
- Vast protocol support
- Community module library
- Lightweight Perl server
- Long-term reliability
Jeedom
Jeedom is an open-source home automation platform that runs locally and supports many protocols through plugins. It offers scenario design, mobile apps, and dashboards for controlling smart devices.
- Plugin-based protocol support
- Scenario designer
- Mobile apps and dashboards
- Runs fully locally
FHEM vs Jeedom: key differences
FHEM is written in Perl, while Jeedom is built with PHP. FHEM is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Jeedom. FHEM is the more established project (first released 2005), while Jeedom arrived in 2013. Jeedom has the considerably larger community, at 415 GitHub stars versus 22.
Why pick each one
Choose FHEM if…
- Extremely mature
- Runs on modest hardware
Watch out for
- Dated, technical interface
- Configuration is arcane
Choose Jeedom if…
- Flexible and extensible
- Strong in the French community
Watch out for
- Some plugins are paid
- Interface has a learning curve
Frequently asked questions
Is FHEM or Jeedom better?
Jeedom is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider FHEM if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are FHEM and Jeedom free and open-source?
Yes. FHEM is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Jeedom under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FHEM and Jeedom with Docker?
FHEM: yes. Jeedom: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, FHEM or Jeedom?
FHEM has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Jeedom. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.