Mosquitto vs openHAB
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?
| Feature | Mosquitto | openHAB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | EPL-2.0 | EPL-2.0 |
| Language | C | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,101 | ★ 1,134 |
| First released | 2009 | 2010 |
| Replaces | SmartThings | SmartThings, Google Home |
Why pick each one
Choose Mosquitto if…
- Extremely lightweight
- Rock-solid reliability
- Ubiquitous in smart homes
Frequently asked questions
Is Mosquitto or openHAB better?
Mosquitto is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider openHAB if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mosquitto and openHAB free and open-source?
Yes. Mosquitto is licensed under EPL-2.0 and openHAB under EPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mosquitto and openHAB with Docker?
Mosquitto: yes. openHAB: yes.