# Alternatives to ESPHome Firmware for DIY smart devices. ESPHome ranks #3 of 8 in Home automation, with an Alt Score of 86. It is licensed under GPL-3.0, free from Free and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. 9 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source. Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/esphome/ Category: Home automation ## Overview - **Who it's for**: DIY smart-home enthusiasts and integrators who want to build custom devices on ESP32, ESP8266, and similar microcontrollers without writing C++ firmware code. - **What you get**: A YAML-based configuration system that compiles into firmware for supported boards, covering sensors, displays, switches, and other components out of the box. Devices run locally and operate independently of any cloud service. Firmware updates can be pushed over-the-air after the initial flash. Native integration with Home Assistant exposes device entities automatically. - **How it works**: You write a YAML file describing the board and its components (sensors, outputs, etc.), ESPHome compiles it into firmware, and you flash it to the device over USB (or OTA for updates). The device then connects to your network and can be added to Home Assistant, or controlled via ESPHome's own tools. ## Profile - **License**: GPL-3.0 (verified 2026-07-10) - **Pricing model**: Free (verified 2026-07-10) - **Starts at**: Free (verified 2026-07-10) - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux - **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-10) ## Ranked alternatives | # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms | |---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------| | 1 | [Domoticz](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/domoticz.md) | 100 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | | 2 | [Home Assistant](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/home-assistant.md) | 100 | Apache-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS | | 3 | [SmartThings](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/smartthings.md) | 73 | Proprietary | Windows, iOS, Android | | 4 | [Homebridge](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/homebridge.md) | 68 | Apache-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux | | 5 | [openHAB](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/openhab.md) | 64 | EPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux | | 6 | [Scrypted](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/scrypted.md) | 64 | ISC | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS | | 7 | [Frigate](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/frigate.md) | 46 | MIT | Linux, Web | Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/ ## Feature comparison Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified). | Home automation checklist | ESPHome | Domoticz | Home Assistant | SmartThings | Homebridge | openHAB | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | Free | Free | Free | ? | Free | Free | | Starts at | Free | Free | Free | ? | Free | Free | | License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 | Proprietary | Apache-2.0 | EPL-2.0 | | Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux | | Local-first (no cloud required) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | | Device / integration count | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | | Automation engine | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | | Voice assistant integration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | | Matter / Thread support | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | ? | | Energy monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | | Dashboards | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Mobile app | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | | Open source | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | | Runs on Raspberry Pi | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | ## Sources Sources for ESPHome. Each alternative is sourced on its own page. - **Pricing model**: Free — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “The ESPHome License is made up of two base licenses: MIT and the GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE.” - **License**: GPL-3.0 — (verified 2026-07-10) - Note: Dual-licensed: firmware/runtime C++ is GPLv3, Python tooling is MIT. - Quote: “The ESPHome License is made up of two base licenses: MIT and the GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE.” - **Starts at**: Free — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “The ESPHome License is made up of two base licenses: MIT and the GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE.” - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux — (verified 2026-07-10) - Note: Runs via Docker on Linux/Windows(WSL2)/macOS per the same guide. - Quote: “Note that on macOS Docker can not pass USB devices through. You will not be able to flash ESP devices through USB on Mac, all other features will work.” - **Status**: active — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “2026.6.5 Latest” - **Local-first (no cloud required)**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Local Control - Devices work locally without cloud dependencies.” - **Device / integration count**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “ESPHome has support for many different sensors.” - **Automation engine**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Automations are a very powerful aspect of ESPHome; they allow you to easily perform actions given some condition(s).” - **Voice assistant integration**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “ESPHome devices with a microphone are able to stream the audio to Home Assistant and be processed there by assist.” - **Matter / Thread support**: Partial — (verified 2026-07-10) - Note: Thread via OpenThread; no dedicated Matter component. - Quote: “This component allows ESPHome nodes to communicate with Home Assistant over a Thread network.” - **Energy monitoring**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Peacefair PZEM-004T Energy Monitor” - **Dashboards**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “The ESPHome Device Builder allows you to easily manage your nodes from a nice web interface.” - **Open source**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “The ESPHome License is made up of two base licenses: MIT and the GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE.” - **Runs on Raspberry Pi**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “whether that's a single-board computer (SBC) such as a Raspberry Pi or a laptop/desktop-class system.” --- Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/