# Best open source home automation software > The best open source home automation platform is Home Assistant, with 91,266 GitHub stars, the Apache-2.0 license and a Docker image; Node RED and Thingsboard (source-available) are strong alternatives. This page also breaks the picks down by team size and use: Home Assistant leads for home use. The overall ranking weighs GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits across the 19 apps in the home automation & IoT category of the appsgit catalog. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | |---|---| | Question | What is the best open source home automation platform? | | Picks | 15 | | Top pick | Home Assistant (91,266 stars) | | Data as of | Oct 7, 2026 | | Canonical URL | https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-home-automation | ## Top picks 10 of the 19 apps in the home automation & IoT category, ranked on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits. - [Home Assistant](https://appsgit.com/apps/home-assistant) (91,266 stars, Apache-2.0, Python, Docker): Home Assistant has 91,266 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 17,497 commits in the last year; it replaces IFTTT and Nest / SmartThings. - [Node RED](https://appsgit.com/apps/node-red) (23,716 stars, Apache-2.0, JavaScript, Docker): Node RED has 23,716 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 684 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier and IFTTT. - [Thingsboard](https://appsgit.com/apps/thingsboard) (22,512 stars, BUSL-1.1, source-available, Java, Docker): Thingsboard has 22,512 GitHub stars, is source-available under the BSL 1.1 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 3,539 commits in the last year. - [Tasmota](https://appsgit.com/apps/tasmota) (24,800 stars, GPL-3.0, C): Tasmota has 24,800 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license and had 742 commits in the last year; it replaces Nest / SmartThings. - [EMQX](https://appsgit.com/apps/emqx) (16,777 stars, BUSL-1.1, source-available, Erlang, Docker): EMQX has 16,777 GitHub stars, is source-available under the BSL 1.1 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 6,842 commits in the last year. - [evcc](https://appsgit.com/apps/evcc) (7,331 stars, MIT, Go, Docker): evcc has 7,331 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 2,536 commits in the last year. - [Domoticz](https://appsgit.com/apps/domoticz) (3,816 stars, GPL-3.0, C++, Docker): Domoticz has 3,816 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,517 commits in the last year; it replaces Nest / SmartThings and Google Home. - [Gladys](https://appsgit.com/apps/gladys) (3,222 stars, Apache-2.0, JavaScript, Docker): Gladys has 3,222 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 582 commits in the last year; it replaces Google Home. - [Scrypted](https://appsgit.com/apps/scrypted) (6,000 stars, license unverified, TypeScript, Docker): Scrypted has 6,000 GitHub stars, uses a license appsgit could not verify, ships a Docker image and had 274 commits in the last year. - [OpenRemote](https://appsgit.com/apps/openremote) (1,912 stars, AGPL-3.0, Java): OpenRemote has 1,912 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 627 commits in the last year; it replaces Nest / SmartThings. ## Best for home use Ranked for home use on GitHub stars, commits in the last year, Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits. - [Home Assistant](https://appsgit.com/apps/home-assistant) (91,266 stars, Apache-2.0, Python, Docker): Home Assistant has 91,266 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 17,497 commits in the last year; it replaces IFTTT and Nest / SmartThings. For home use it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Node RED](https://appsgit.com/apps/node-red) (23,716 stars, Apache-2.0, JavaScript, Docker): Node RED has 23,716 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 684 commits in the last year; it replaces Zapier and IFTTT. For home use it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - [Thingsboard](https://appsgit.com/apps/thingsboard) (22,512 stars, BUSL-1.1, source-available, Java, Docker): Thingsboard has 22,512 GitHub stars, is source-available under the BSL 1.1 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 3,539 commits in the last year. For home use it also scores on a Docker image and a commit in the last 90 days. - [EMQX](https://appsgit.com/apps/emqx) (16,777 stars, BUSL-1.1, source-available, Erlang, Docker): EMQX has 16,777 GitHub stars, is source-available under the BSL 1.1 (not an open-source license), ships a Docker image and had 6,842 commits in the last year. For home use it also scores on a Docker image and a commit in the last 90 days. - [evcc](https://appsgit.com/apps/evcc) (7,331 stars, MIT, Go, Docker): evcc has 7,331 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 2,536 commits in the last year. For home use it also scores on a Docker image, an open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. ## How this list was made - Candidates: the 19 apps in the home automation & IoT category. Archived projects and projects with no commit in the last two years are left out. - Base score: GitHub stars on a log scale plus commits in the last 12 months (log scale, capped at 1,000). - Bonus points for a published Docker image, an OSI-approved open-source license and a commit in the last 90 days. - Each "Best for" section re-ranks the same apps with that audience's profile (for example startups add points for permissive licenses, project websites and recent commits; small business for Docker images and deploy guides). - Source-available apps can rank, but they are labelled and never described as open source. ## FAQ ### Is Home Assistant free? Yes. Home Assistant is open-source software released under the Apache-2.0 license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan. ### Which open source home automation platform is best for home use? Home Assistant ranks first for home use, with 91,266 GitHub stars, the Apache-2.0 license and a Docker image; Node RED and Thingsboard (source-available) follow. The home use ranking adds points for Docker images, open-source licenses and recent commits on top of stars and activity. ### Can I self-host these home automation software with Docker? Yes, 8 of the 10 picks. Home Assistant, Node RED and Thingsboard publish Docker images, so you can run them on a VPS or home server with Docker Compose. The others install from their own packages or source; follow each project's install guide. ### Are all of these home automation software open source? 7 of the 10 apps on this list are open source; 2 are source-available; 1 has a license appsgit could not verify. Source-available licenses add conditions, such as limits on hosted or commercial use, so read them before you deploy. ### Which of these home automation software is the most actively developed? Home Assistant, with 17,497 commits in the last 12 months and a latest release, 2026.9.4, from September 2026. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed. ## Related questions - [What is the best open source workflow automation tool?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-workflow-automation) - [What is the best open source NVR?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-nvr) - [What is the best open source budgeting app?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-budgeting-software) - [What is the best open source CMS?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-cms) - [What is the best open source team chat app?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-team-chat) - [What is the best open source inventory management system?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-inventory-management) - [What is the best open source backup tool?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-backup-software) - [What is the best open source accounting software?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-accounting-software) ## See also - [All home automation & IoT apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/home-automation) - [All automation & workflows apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/automation) - [All video surveillance apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/video-surveillance) - [Open-source alternatives to IFTTT](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/ifttt) - [Open-source alternatives to Nest / SmartThings](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/smartthings) - [Open-source alternatives to Google Home](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/google-home) - [Open-source alternatives to Zapier](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/zapier) - [Home Assistant vs openHAB](https://appsgit.com/compare/home-assistant-vs-openhab) - [n8n vs Node-RED](https://appsgit.com/compare/n8n-vs-node-red) - [How to self-host Home Assistant with Docker Compose](https://appsgit.com/guides/home-assistant) --- Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-home-automation Source: appsgit (https://appsgit.com), the app store for github. Data from the GitHub API, refreshed nightly. Machine access: JSON API https://appsgit.com/api/v1/apps (OpenAPI: https://appsgit.com/openapi.json), MCP server https://mcp.appsgit.com/mcp, full index https://appsgit.com/llms-full.txt.