# Best open source software for smart home and IoT > For a smart home, a self-hosted stack starts with Home Assistant for home automation, Node RED for IoT flows and Frigate for cameras. Each pick was chosen by hand for its job and is shown with GitHub data from October 2026. ## Key facts | Fact | Value | |---|---| | Question | What is the best open source software for a smart home? | | Picks | 14 | | Top pick | Home Assistant (91,266 stars) | | Data as of | Oct 7, 2026 | | Canonical URL | https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-software-for-smart-home | Local-first smart home software: an automation hub, flow-based IoT wiring, camera recording with local object detection, EV and solar energy management, and open device firmware. ## Home automation hub - [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. - [openHAB](https://appsgit.com/apps/openhab) (1,144 stars, EPL-2.0, Java): openHAB has 1,144 GitHub stars, uses the EPL-2.0 license and had 507 commits in the last year; it replaces Nest / SmartThings and Google Home. - [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. ## Flows and IoT platforms - [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. - [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. ## Cameras - [Frigate](https://appsgit.com/apps/frigate) (36,390 stars, MIT, Python, Docker, AI features): Frigate has 36,390 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 1,445 commits in the last year; it replaces Ring. - [Zoneminder](https://appsgit.com/apps/zoneminder) (5,941 stars, GPL-2.0, PHP): Zoneminder has 5,941 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-2.0 license and had 3,316 commits in the last year; it replaces Ring. - [motionEye](https://appsgit.com/apps/motioneye) (4,694 stars, GPL-3.0, Python, Docker): motionEye has 4,694 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 377 commits in the last year; it replaces Ring. - [Viseron](https://appsgit.com/apps/viseron) (3,569 stars, MIT, Python, Docker, AI features): Viseron has 3,569 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 1,095 commits in the last year; it replaces Ring. ## Energy - [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. - [SOLECTRUS](https://appsgit.com/apps/solectrus) (166 stars, AGPL-3.0, Ruby, Docker): SOLECTRUS has 166 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,581 commits in the last year. ## Device firmware - [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. ## How this list was made - Apps were picked by hand from the appsgit catalog for each job, then checked against the snapshot: unknown or archived projects and projects with no commit in two years are dropped automatically. - Inside each section the curated order is kept, most broadly useful first; an app appears only once on the page. - Stars, license, Docker and activity facts come from the GitHub API as of October 2026. - Source-available apps are labelled; they are not open source, so read their licenses before commercial use. ## FAQ ### Does a self-hosted smart home work without the internet? Largely, yes: Home Assistant, openHAB and Frigate run on your own hardware, so local devices keep working when the internet is down. Cloud-only devices still need their vendor's servers. ### 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. ### Can I run this stack with Docker? 11 of the 14 apps here publish Docker images, including Home Assistant, Domoticz and Gladys, so most of the stack can run side by side with Docker Compose on one server. Size the server for the heaviest app and add off-site backups. ## Related questions - [What are the best open source AI tools for a smart home?](https://appsgit.com/best/ai-tools-for-smart-home) - [What are the best open source apps for planning and tracking travel?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-apps-for-travel) - [What is the best open source event management software?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-software-for-events) - [What is the best open source budget management app?](https://appsgit.com/best/budget-management) - [What is the best open source software for crypto and web3 projects?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-software-for-crypto) - [What are the best open source AI tools for crypto and web3 teams?](https://appsgit.com/best/ai-tools-for-crypto) - [What is the best open source software for banks and fintech companies?](https://appsgit.com/best/open-source-software-for-fintech) - [What open source AI tools can banks and fintech companies self-host?](https://appsgit.com/best/ai-for-banking) ## See also - [All home automation & IoT apps](https://appsgit.com/categories/home-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) - [Open-source alternatives to Ring](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/ring) - [Home Assistant vs openHAB](https://appsgit.com/compare/home-assistant-vs-openhab) - [Frigate vs ZoneMinder](https://appsgit.com/compare/frigate-vs-zoneminder) - [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-software-for-smart-home 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.