OpenRemote 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?
OpenRemote
IoT Asset management, Flow Rules and WHEN-THEN rules, Data
VS
Zigbee2MQTT
Bridge Zigbee devices to MQTT without vendor hubs
| Feature | OpenRemote | Zigbee2MQTT |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,835 | ★ 15,477 |
| First released | 2026 | 2018 |
| Replaces | — | SmartThings |
Why pick each one
Choose OpenRemote if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Zigbee2MQTT if…
- Frees devices from vendor hubs
- Wide device support
- Local control
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenRemote 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 OpenRemote and Zigbee2MQTT free and open-source?
Yes. OpenRemote is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zigbee2MQTT under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenRemote and Zigbee2MQTT with Docker?
OpenRemote: check the project docs for container support. Zigbee2MQTT: yes.