Mozilla WebThings Gateway vs Z-Wave JS UI
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted home automation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Z-Wave JS UI
Full-featured Z-Wave control panel and MQTT gateway
| Feature | Mozilla WebThings Gateway | Z-Wave JS UI |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 81 · Excellent | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,646 | ★ 1,239 |
| First released | 2018 | 2018 |
| Replaces | SmartThings, Google Home | SmartThings |
What are Mozilla WebThings Gateway and Z-Wave JS UI?
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
Z-Wave JS UI
Z-Wave JS UI is a web interface and MQTT gateway built on the Z-Wave JS driver for managing Z-Wave networks. It exposes devices to home automation platforms and provides a control panel for configuration.
- Z-Wave network management
- MQTT gateway
- Web control panel
- Firmware update support
Mozilla WebThings Gateway vs Z-Wave JS UI: key differences
Mozilla WebThings Gateway is written in TypeScript, while Z-Wave JS UI is built with Vue. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Mozilla WebThings Gateway versus MIT for Z-Wave JS UI. Z-Wave JS UI is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Mozilla WebThings Gateway. Mozilla WebThings Gateway has the considerably larger community, at 2,646 GitHub stars versus 1,239.
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 Z-Wave JS UI if…
- Excellent Z-Wave support
- Integrates with Home Assistant
Watch out for
- Requires a Z-Wave controller
- Z-Wave only
Frequently asked questions
Is Mozilla WebThings Gateway or Z-Wave JS UI better?
Neither is universally better. Mozilla WebThings Gateway has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Mozilla WebThings Gateway and Z-Wave JS UI free and open-source?
Yes. Mozilla WebThings Gateway is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Z-Wave JS UI under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mozilla WebThings Gateway and Z-Wave JS UI with Docker?
Mozilla WebThings Gateway: yes. Z-Wave JS UI: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Mozilla WebThings Gateway or Z-Wave JS UI?
Z-Wave JS UI has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Mozilla WebThings Gateway. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.