FHEM vs Gladys Assistant
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?
FHEM
Perl-based server for home automation tasks
VS
Gladys Assistant
Privacy-first home automation platform for everyone
| Feature | FHEM | Gladys Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Perl | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22 | ★ 3,098 |
| First released | 2005 | 2017 |
| Replaces | SmartThings | SmartThings, Google Home |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is FHEM or Gladys Assistant better?
Gladys Assistant is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider FHEM if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are FHEM and Gladys Assistant free and open-source?
Yes. FHEM is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Gladys Assistant under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FHEM and Gladys Assistant with Docker?
FHEM: yes. Gladys Assistant: yes.