Zigbee2MQTT 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?
Zigbee2MQTT
Bridge Zigbee devices to MQTT without vendor hubs
VS
Z-Wave JS UI
Full-featured Z-Wave control panel and MQTT gateway
| Feature | Zigbee2MQTT | Z-Wave JS UI |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,477 | ★ 1,234 |
| First released | 2018 | 2018 |
| Replaces | SmartThings | SmartThings |
Why pick each one
Choose Zigbee2MQTT if…
- Frees devices from vendor hubs
- Wide device support
- Local control
Frequently asked questions
Is Zigbee2MQTT or Z-Wave JS UI 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 Zigbee2MQTT and Z-Wave JS UI free and open-source?
Yes. Zigbee2MQTT is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Z-Wave JS UI under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Zigbee2MQTT and Z-Wave JS UI with Docker?
Zigbee2MQTT: yes. Z-Wave JS UI: yes.