ThingsBoard 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.
Not the right match-up?
ThingsBoard
Open-source IoT platform for device management and data
VS
Z-Wave JS UI
Full-featured Z-Wave control panel and MQTT gateway
| Feature | ThingsBoard | Z-Wave JS UI |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,200 | ★ 1,234 |
| First released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Replaces | AWS IoT, Azure IoT | SmartThings |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is ThingsBoard or Z-Wave JS UI better?
Neither is universally better. ThingsBoard has the larger community, while Z-Wave JS UI is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ThingsBoard and Z-Wave JS UI free and open-source?
Yes. ThingsBoard is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Z-Wave JS UI under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ThingsBoard and Z-Wave JS UI with Docker?
ThingsBoard: yes. Z-Wave JS UI: yes.