Homebridge vs SmartIR
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
SmartIR
Climate, TV, and fan control via IR controllers
| Feature | Homebridge | SmartIR |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 25,444 | ★ 236 |
| First released | 2014 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Apple HomeKit hubs | Sensibo |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Homebridge or SmartIR better?
Neither is universally better. Homebridge has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Homebridge and SmartIR free and open-source?
Yes. Homebridge is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SmartIR under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Homebridge and SmartIR with Docker?
Homebridge: yes. SmartIR: check the project docs for container support.