Homebridge vs OpenRemote
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?
Homebridge
Bring non-HomeKit smart devices into Apple Home
VS
OpenRemote
IoT Asset management, Flow Rules and WHEN-THEN rules, Data
| Feature | Homebridge | OpenRemote |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 25,444 | ★ 1,835 |
| First released | 2014 | 2026 |
| Replaces | Apple HomeKit hubs | — |
Why pick each one
Choose OpenRemote if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Homebridge or OpenRemote better?
Homebridge is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider OpenRemote if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Homebridge and OpenRemote free and open-source?
Yes. Homebridge is licensed under Apache-2.0 and OpenRemote under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Homebridge and OpenRemote with Docker?
Homebridge: yes. OpenRemote: check the project docs for container support.