# Alternatives to openHAB Java-based open automation platform. openHAB ranks #6 of 8 in Home automation, with an Alt Score of 64. It is licensed under EPL-2.0, free from Free and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. 6 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source. Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/openhab/ Category: Home automation ## Overview - **Who it's for**: Homeowners and technical hobbyists who want to unify smart-home devices from many brands under one system without depending on manufacturer clouds or being locked into a single ecosystem. - **What you get**: A free, open-source home automation platform that connects to 400+ technologies and thousands of devices through add-ons/bindings, letting you control and automate them from one place. It runs locally on your own hardware (Linux, macOS, Windows, Raspberry Pi, Docker, Synology, etc.), keeping data and control on-premises rather than in a vendor's cloud. Automation is handled through rules with time- and event-based triggers, scripts, notifications, and voice control. It's backed by the nonprofit openHAB Foundation, which commits to keeping it vendor-neutral. - **How it works**: You install the openHAB runtime (a Java application built on Apache Karaf) on a server or device, add bindings for the specific devices/services you own, then define items, rules, and dashboards to tie them together. You interact with the system via its web UI or the companion iOS/Android apps. ## Profile - **License**: EPL-2.0 (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 | [ESPHome](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/esphome.md) | 86 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux | | 4 | [SmartThings](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/smartthings.md) | 73 | Proprietary | Windows, iOS, Android | | 5 | [Homebridge](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/homebridge.md) | 68 | Apache-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 | openHAB | Domoticz | Home Assistant | ESPHome | SmartThings | Homebridge | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | Free | Free | Free | Free | ? | Free | | Starts at | Free | Free | Free | Free | ? | Free | | License | EPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 | Proprietary | Apache-2.0 | | Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, iOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux | | Local-first (no cloud required) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 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 | ? | Yes | Yes | Partial | 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 | Yes | No | Yes | | Runs on Raspberry Pi | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | ## Sources Sources for openHAB. Each alternative is sourced on its own page. - **Starts at**: Free — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Eclipse Public License - v 2.0” - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Raspberry Pi Linux Windows macOS Docker Choose your version” - **License**: EPL-2.0 — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Eclipse Public License - v 2.0” - **Pricing model**: Free — (verified 2026-07-10) - Note: Free open-source software under EPL-2.0; no paid tier. - Quote: “Eclipse Public License - v 2.0” - **Status**: active — (verified 2026-07-10) - Note: Released 2026-07-05. - Quote: “5.2.0” - **Local-first (no cloud required)**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “an open source, technology agnostic home automation platform which runs as the center of your smart home!” - **Automation engine**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Rules are used for automating processes: Each rule can be triggered, which invokes a script that performs any kinds of tasks, e.g. turn on lights by modifying your items, do mathematical calculations,” - **Dashboards**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “openHAB provides a single graphical user interface to modify settings, to manage your components and rules, and to provide a UI for users.” - **Mobile app**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “The openHAB Android application is a native client for openHAB, compatible with phones and tablets.” - **Open source**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “an open source, technology agnostic home automation platform which runs as the center of your smart home!” - **Runs on Raspberry Pi**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Complete SD-card images pre-configured with openHAB for the Raspberry Pi line of small single-board computers” --- Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/