FHEM vs openHAB
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
openHAB
Vendor-neutral open-source home automation
| Feature | FHEM | openHAB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | GPL-2.0 | EPL-2.0 |
| Language | Perl | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22 | ★ 1,134 |
| First released | 2005 | 2010 |
| Replaces | SmartThings | SmartThings, Google Home |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is FHEM or openHAB better?
Neither is universally better. openHAB has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are FHEM and openHAB free and open-source?
Yes. FHEM is licensed under GPL-2.0 and openHAB under EPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FHEM and openHAB with Docker?
FHEM: yes. openHAB: yes.