HA-Bridge vs Zigbee Herdsman
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted home automation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | HA-Bridge | Zigbee Herdsman |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 31 · At risk | 80 · Excellent |
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,485 | ★ 565 |
| First released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Philips Hue Bridge | Philips Hue Bridge |
What are HA-Bridge and Zigbee Herdsman?
HA-Bridge
HA-Bridge emulates a Philips Hue bridge so that voice assistants and other Hue-compatible controllers can trigger arbitrary devices and HTTP commands. It lets older or unsupported gear be controlled through familiar smart home ecosystems.
- Philips Hue emulation
- Voice assistant control
- HTTP and command triggers
- Web configuration
Zigbee Herdsman
Zigbee Herdsman is an open-source Node.js/TypeScript library that communicates with Zigbee coordinator adapters to form networks and control devices programmatically. It is the foundation of Zigbee2MQTT rather than an end-user application.
- Zigbee coordinator library
- Powers Zigbee2MQTT
- Supports many adapters
- Programmatic device control
HA-Bridge vs Zigbee Herdsman: key differences
HA-Bridge is written in Java, while Zigbee Herdsman is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for HA-Bridge versus MIT for Zigbee Herdsman. Zigbee Herdsman is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for HA-Bridge. HA-Bridge is the more established project (first released 2015), while Zigbee Herdsman arrived in 2018. HA-Bridge has the considerably larger community, at 1,485 GitHub stars versus 565.
Why pick each one
Choose HA-Bridge if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- Java runtime needed
Choose Zigbee Herdsman if…
- Foundation of an open Zigbee stack
- Broad hardware support
Watch out for
- Library not an end-user app
- Requires development knowledge
Frequently asked questions
Is HA-Bridge or Zigbee Herdsman better?
HA-Bridge is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Zigbee Herdsman if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are HA-Bridge and Zigbee Herdsman free and open-source?
Yes. HA-Bridge is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Zigbee Herdsman under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run HA-Bridge and Zigbee Herdsman with Docker?
HA-Bridge: yes. Zigbee Herdsman: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, HA-Bridge or Zigbee Herdsman?
Zigbee Herdsman has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for HA-Bridge. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.