SHSelfHostIndex

Onloc vs Zigbee2MQTT

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?
ON Onloc Track and share your location in real time VS ZI Zigbee2MQTT Bridge Zigbee devices to MQTT without vendor hubs
FeatureOnlocZigbee2MQTT
CategoryHome AutomationHome Automation
LicenseAGPL-3.0GPL-3.0
LanguageTypeScriptTypeScript
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB256 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 10★ 15,477
First released20262018
Replaces—SmartThings

Why pick each one

Choose Onloc if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in TypeScript
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Onloc details

Choose Zigbee2MQTT if…

  • Frees devices from vendor hubs
  • Wide device support
  • Local control
Zigbee2MQTT details

Frequently asked questions

Is Onloc or Zigbee2MQTT better?

Neither is universally better. Zigbee2MQTT has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Onloc and Zigbee2MQTT free and open-source?

Yes. Onloc is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zigbee2MQTT under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Onloc and Zigbee2MQTT with Docker?

Onloc: yes. Zigbee2MQTT: yes.

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