Gladys Assistant vs SmartApp Bridge
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted home automation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Gladys Assistant | SmartApp Bridge |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,201 | ★ 2,066 |
| First released | 2017 | 2014 |
| Replaces | SmartThings, Google Home | SmartThings |
What are Gladys Assistant and SmartApp Bridge?
Gladys Assistant
Gladys Assistant is a privacy-first, open-source home automation program that runs locally on your hardware. It controls smart devices, scenes, and schedules through a clean web and mobile interface.
- Runs fully locally
- Device, scene, and schedule control
- Clean web and mobile UI
- Energy monitoring
SmartApp Bridge
A self-hosted automation engine that connects IoT devices and runs event-driven rules across protocols. It targets users who want a lightweight alternative to large home automation hubs.
- Event-driven rules
- Multi-protocol IoT
- Lightweight runtime
- Large add-on catalog
Gladys Assistant vs SmartApp Bridge: key differences
Gladys Assistant is written in JavaScript, while SmartApp Bridge is built with Java. SmartApp Bridge is the more established project (first released 2014), while Gladys Assistant arrived in 2017.
Why pick each one
Choose Gladys Assistant if…
- Strong privacy focus
- Beginner-friendly
Watch out for
- Smaller integration catalog
- Less powerful automations than HA
Choose SmartApp Bridge if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Gladys Assistant or SmartApp Bridge better?
Gladys Assistant is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider SmartApp Bridge if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Gladys Assistant and SmartApp Bridge free and open-source?
Yes. Gladys Assistant is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SmartApp Bridge under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gladys Assistant and SmartApp Bridge with Docker?
Gladys Assistant: yes. SmartApp Bridge: yes.