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Mozilla WebThings Gateway vs Zwave-JS Server

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?
MO Mozilla WebThings Gateway Open gateway for the decentralized web of things VS ZW Zwave-JS Server Small server wrapping the Z-Wave JS driver over WebSocket
FeatureMozilla WebThings GatewayZwave-JS Server
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score81 · Excellent74 · Good
CategoryHome AutomationHome Automation
LicenseMPL-2.0Apache-2.0
LanguageTypeScriptTypeScript
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB128 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, dockerdocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 2,646★ 164
First released20182021
ReplacesSmartThings, Google HomeSmartThings

What are Mozilla WebThings Gateway and Zwave-JS Server?

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

Read the full Mozilla WebThings Gateway guide →

Zwave-JS Server

Z-Wave JS Server is a small server that exposes the Z-Wave JS driver over a WebSocket API. It allows multiple clients, such as Home Assistant, to control a Z-Wave network simultaneously.

  • WebSocket Z-Wave API
  • Multi-client support
  • Built on Z-Wave JS
  • Lightweight server

Mozilla WebThings Gateway vs Zwave-JS Server: key differences

Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Mozilla WebThings Gateway versus Apache-2.0 for Zwave-JS Server. Zwave-JS Server is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Mozilla WebThings Gateway. Mozilla WebThings Gateway is the more established project (first released 2018), while Zwave-JS Server arrived in 2021. Mozilla WebThings Gateway has the considerably larger community, at 2,646 GitHub stars versus 164.

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
Mozilla WebThings Gateway details

Choose Zwave-JS Server if…

  • Decouples driver from clients
  • Reliable

Watch out for

  • Headless, no UI
  • Z-Wave only
Zwave-JS Server details

Frequently asked questions

Is Mozilla WebThings Gateway or Zwave-JS Server 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 Zwave-JS Server free and open-source?

Yes. Mozilla WebThings Gateway is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Zwave-JS Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Mozilla WebThings Gateway and Zwave-JS Server with Docker?

Mozilla WebThings Gateway: yes. Zwave-JS Server: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, Mozilla WebThings Gateway or Zwave-JS Server?

Zwave-JS Server has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Mozilla WebThings Gateway. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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