HA-Bridge vs Zigbee2MQTT
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?
HA-Bridge
Emulate Philips Hue to control devices by voice
VS
Zigbee2MQTT
Bridge Zigbee devices to MQTT without vendor hubs
| Feature | HA-Bridge | Zigbee2MQTT |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,477 | ★ 15,477 |
| First released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Philips Hue Bridge | SmartThings |
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)
Choose Zigbee2MQTT if…
- Frees devices from vendor hubs
- Wide device support
- Local control
Frequently asked questions
Is HA-Bridge or Zigbee2MQTT better?
Neither is universally better. Zigbee2MQTT has the larger community, while HA-Bridge is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are HA-Bridge and Zigbee2MQTT free and open-source?
Yes. HA-Bridge is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Zigbee2MQTT under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run HA-Bridge and Zigbee2MQTT with Docker?
HA-Bridge: yes. Zigbee2MQTT: yes.