Habapp vs ThingsBoard
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?
Habapp
Python rules engine for openHAB and MQTT
VS
ThingsBoard
Open-source IoT platform for device management and data
| Feature | Habapp | ThingsBoard |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 56 | ★ 22,200 |
| First released | 2019 | 2017 |
| Replaces | IFTTT | AWS IoT, Azure IoT |
Why pick each one
Choose Habapp if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Habapp or ThingsBoard better?
Neither is universally better. ThingsBoard has the larger community, while Habapp is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Habapp and ThingsBoard free and open-source?
Yes. Habapp is licensed under Apache-2.0 and ThingsBoard under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Habapp and ThingsBoard with Docker?
Habapp: yes. ThingsBoard: yes.