Zigbee2MQTT Assistant vs Zigbee2MQTT

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted home automation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

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FeatureZigbee2MQTT AssistantZigbee2MQTT
CategoryHome AutomationHome Automation
LicenseMITGPL-3.0
LanguageC#TypeScript
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM128 MB256 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 448★ 15,477
First released20192018
ReplacesSmartThings HubSmartThings

Why pick each one

Choose Zigbee2MQTT Assistant if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in C#
Zigbee2MQTT Assistant details

Choose Zigbee2MQTT if…

  • Frees devices from vendor hubs
  • Wide device support
  • Local control
Zigbee2MQTT details

Frequently asked questions

Is Zigbee2MQTT Assistant or Zigbee2MQTT better?

Neither is universally better. Zigbee2MQTT has the larger community, while Zigbee2MQTT Assistant is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Zigbee2MQTT Assistant and Zigbee2MQTT free and open-source?

Yes. Zigbee2MQTT Assistant is licensed under MIT and Zigbee2MQTT under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Zigbee2MQTT Assistant and Zigbee2MQTT with Docker?

Zigbee2MQTT Assistant: yes. Zigbee2MQTT: yes.

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