Mozilla WebThings Gateway vs OpenHAB Cloud
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted home automation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Mozilla WebThings Gateway | OpenHAB Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 81 · Excellent | 75 · Good |
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | MPL-2.0 | EPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,646 | ★ 306 |
| First released | 2018 | 2014 |
| Replaces | SmartThings, Google Home | SmartThings |
What are Mozilla WebThings Gateway and OpenHAB Cloud?
Mozilla WebThings Gateway
WebThings Gateway is an open-source gateway for monitoring and controlling smart home devices over the web using open standards. Originating at Mozilla, it now continues as a community project.
- Web of Things standards
- Add-on device support
- Rules engine
- Local web interface
OpenHAB Cloud
openHAB Cloud is the self-hostable companion service that provides remote access, notifications, and integrations for openHAB installations. It bridges local openHAB instances to external services securely.
- Remote openHAB access
- Push notifications
- IFTTT and voice integrations
- Self-hostable backend
Mozilla WebThings Gateway vs OpenHAB Cloud: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Mozilla WebThings Gateway versus EPL-2.0 for OpenHAB Cloud. OpenHAB Cloud is the more established project (first released 2014), while Mozilla WebThings Gateway arrived in 2018. Mozilla WebThings Gateway has the considerably larger community, at 2,646 GitHub stars versus 306.
Why pick each one
Choose Mozilla WebThings Gateway if…
- Open standards-based
- Privacy-focused
Watch out for
- Smaller community after Mozilla
- Fewer integrations than HA
Choose OpenHAB Cloud if…
- Keeps data under your control
- Enables remote control
Watch out for
- Requires MongoDB
- Setup is involved
Frequently asked questions
Is Mozilla WebThings Gateway or OpenHAB Cloud better?
Mozilla WebThings Gateway is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider OpenHAB Cloud if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mozilla WebThings Gateway and OpenHAB Cloud free and open-source?
Yes. Mozilla WebThings Gateway is licensed under MPL-2.0 and OpenHAB Cloud under EPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mozilla WebThings Gateway and OpenHAB Cloud with Docker?
Mozilla WebThings Gateway: yes. OpenHAB Cloud: yes.