Gladys Assistant vs Zwave-JS Server
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 | Zwave-JS Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 74 · Good |
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,201 | ★ 164 |
| First released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Replaces | SmartThings, Google Home | SmartThings |
What are Gladys Assistant and Zwave-JS Server?
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
Zwave-JS Server
Z-Wave JS Server is a small server that exposes the Z-Wave JS driver over a WebSocket API. It allows multiple clients, such as Home Assistant, to control a Z-Wave network simultaneously.
- WebSocket Z-Wave API
- Multi-client support
- Built on Z-Wave JS
- Lightweight server
Gladys Assistant vs Zwave-JS Server: key differences
Gladys Assistant is written in JavaScript, while Zwave-JS Server is built with TypeScript. Zwave-JS Server is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Gladys Assistant. Gladys Assistant is the more established project (first released 2017), while Zwave-JS Server arrived in 2021. Gladys Assistant has the considerably larger community, at 3,201 GitHub stars versus 164.
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 Zwave-JS Server if…
- Decouples driver from clients
- Reliable
Watch out for
- Headless, no UI
- Z-Wave only
Frequently asked questions
Is Gladys Assistant or Zwave-JS Server better?
Gladys Assistant is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Zwave-JS Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Gladys Assistant and Zwave-JS Server free and open-source?
Yes. Gladys Assistant is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Zwave-JS Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Gladys Assistant and Zwave-JS Server with Docker?
Gladys Assistant: yes. Zwave-JS Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Gladys Assistant or Zwave-JS Server?
Zwave-JS Server has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Gladys Assistant. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.