Ring-MQTT vs ntfy

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?
FeatureRing-MQTTntfy
CategoryHome AutomationHome Automation
LicenseMITApache-2.0
LanguageJavaScriptGo
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM256 MB64 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 779★ 33,263
First released20192021
ReplacesRing appPushover, Pushbullet

Why pick each one

Choose Ring-MQTT if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in JavaScript
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Ring-MQTT details

Choose ntfy if…

  • Extremely easy to use
  • Cross-platform apps
ntfy details

Frequently asked questions

Is Ring-MQTT or ntfy better?

ntfy is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Ring-MQTT if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Ring-MQTT and ntfy free and open-source?

Yes. Ring-MQTT is licensed under MIT and ntfy under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Ring-MQTT and ntfy with Docker?

Ring-MQTT: yes. ntfy: yes.

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