FHEM vs Z-Wave JS UI
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
Z-Wave JS UI
Full-featured Z-Wave control panel and MQTT gateway
| Feature | FHEM | Z-Wave JS UI |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Perl | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22 | ★ 1,234 |
| First released | 2005 | 2018 |
| Replaces | SmartThings | SmartThings |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is FHEM or Z-Wave JS UI better?
Z-Wave JS UI 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 Z-Wave JS UI free and open-source?
Yes. FHEM is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Z-Wave JS UI under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FHEM and Z-Wave JS UI with Docker?
FHEM: yes. Z-Wave JS UI: yes.