Home Assistant Supervisor vs ioBroker
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted home automation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
ioBroker
Integration platform for the Internet of Things
| Feature | Home Assistant Supervisor | ioBroker |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,226 | ★ 1,377 |
| First released | 2017 | 2014 |
| Replaces | SmartThings | SmartThings, Hubitat |
What are Home Assistant Supervisor and ioBroker?
Home Assistant Supervisor
Home Assistant Supervisor is the component that manages the Home Assistant Core installation, add-ons, backups, and updates. It enables the add-on store that extends a Home Assistant system.
- Add-on store management
- Automated backups
- Update orchestration
- System health checks
ioBroker
ioBroker is an open-source IoT integration platform that connects and automates devices across many protocols and vendors. It uses adapters to bring smart home systems together under one logic engine.
- Hundreds of adapters
- JavaScript automation engine
- Multi-protocol device support
- Flexible visualization
Home Assistant Supervisor vs ioBroker: key differences
Home Assistant Supervisor is written in Python, while ioBroker is built with Shell. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Home Assistant Supervisor versus MIT for ioBroker. Home Assistant Supervisor is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for ioBroker. IoBroker is the more established project (first released 2014), while Home Assistant Supervisor arrived in 2017.
Why pick each one
Choose Home Assistant Supervisor if…
- Enables one-click add-ons
- Simplifies maintenance
Watch out for
- Tied to supervised installs
- Not standalone
Choose ioBroker if…
- Extremely flexible
- Huge adapter ecosystem
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Setup can be complex
Frequently asked questions
Is Home Assistant Supervisor or ioBroker better?
Neither is universally better. Home Assistant Supervisor has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Home Assistant Supervisor and ioBroker free and open-source?
Yes. Home Assistant Supervisor is licensed under Apache-2.0 and ioBroker under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Home Assistant Supervisor and ioBroker with Docker?
Home Assistant Supervisor: yes. ioBroker: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Home Assistant Supervisor or ioBroker?
Home Assistant Supervisor has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for ioBroker. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.