Theengs Gateway 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?
Theengs Gateway
BLE-to-MQTT gateway for hundreds of sensors
VS
ThingsBoard
Open-source IoT platform for device management and data
| Feature | Theengs Gateway | ThingsBoard |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 171 | ★ 22,200 |
| First released | 2022 | 2017 |
| Replaces | SmartThings Hub | AWS IoT, Azure IoT |
Why pick each one
Choose Theengs Gateway if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Theengs Gateway or ThingsBoard better?
Neither is universally better. ThingsBoard has the larger community, while Theengs Gateway is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Theengs Gateway and ThingsBoard free and open-source?
Yes. Theengs Gateway is licensed under GPL-3.0 and ThingsBoard under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Theengs Gateway and ThingsBoard with Docker?
Theengs Gateway: yes. ThingsBoard: yes.