FHEM vs Zigbee2MQTT
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
Zigbee2MQTT
Bridge Zigbee devices to MQTT without vendor hubs
| Feature | FHEM | Zigbee2MQTT |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 62 · Good | 95 · Excellent |
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Perl | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22 | ★ 15,661 |
| First released | 2005 | 2018 |
| Replaces | SmartThings | SmartThings |
What are FHEM and Zigbee2MQTT?
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
Zigbee2MQTT
Zigbee2MQTT bridges Zigbee devices to MQTT, allowing them to be used without proprietary vendor hubs or bridges. It targets smart home users wanting vendor-neutral Zigbee control. It is deployed via Docker.
- Supports thousands of Zigbee devices
- No vendor hub required
- MQTT integration
- Web-based control panel
FHEM vs Zigbee2MQTT: key differences
FHEM is written in Perl, while Zigbee2MQTT is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for FHEM versus GPL-3.0 for Zigbee2MQTT. FHEM is the more established project (first released 2005), while Zigbee2MQTT arrived in 2018. Zigbee2MQTT has the considerably larger community, at 15,661 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 Zigbee2MQTT if…
- Frees devices from vendor hubs
- Wide device support
- Local control
Watch out for
- Needs a Zigbee coordinator
- Pairing can be finicky
Frequently asked questions
Is FHEM or Zigbee2MQTT better?
Zigbee2MQTT 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 Zigbee2MQTT free and open-source?
Yes. FHEM is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Zigbee2MQTT under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FHEM and Zigbee2MQTT with Docker?
FHEM: yes. Zigbee2MQTT: yes.