Home Assistant
Home automation platform.
Best self-hosted Internet of Things (IoT) software in 2026
Internet of Things describes physical objects with sensors, processing ability, software, and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices over the Internet.
We track 20 open-source, self-hosted Internet of Things (IoT) apps. 19 of them had commits in the last 90 days, 11 can run with Docker, and the most common licenses are Apache-2.0 (6), GPL-3.0 (5), MIT (4). The most-used languages are Nodejs, Java, Python. Below are the top picks by GitHub stars, followed by every app ranked by stars weighted by maintenance health.
Alternatives to IFTTTAlternatives to Google HomeAlternatives to SmartThingsAlternatives to Amazon AlexaAlternatives to Apple HomeKitAlternatives to Home Assistant
Top 5 by GitHub stars
| # | App | Stars | Health | Last activity | License | Language | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Home Assistant | 92.3k | Active | 2026-11-10 | Apache-2.0 | Python, Docker | ✓ |
| 2 | Tasmota | 25k | Active | 2026-11-09 | GPL-3.0 | C, C++ | – |
| 3 | Node RED | 23.8k | Active | 2026-11-09 | Apache-2.0 | Nodejs, Docker | ✓ |
| 4 | Thingsboard | 22.7k | Active | 2026-11-06 | Apache-2.0 | Java, Docker | ✓ |
| 5 | EMQX | 16.9k | Active | 2026-11-09 | Apache-2.0 | Docker, Erlang | ✓ |
- Home Assistant — Home automation platform.
- Tasmota — Firmware for ESP devices. Total local control with quick setup and updates. Control using MQTT, Web UI, HTTP or serial. Automate using timers, rules or scripts. Integration with home automation solutions.
- Node RED — Browser-based flow editor that helps you wiring hardware devices, APIs and online services to create IoT solutions.
- Thingsboard — IoT Platform - Device management, data collection, processing and visualization.
- EMQX — Scalable MQTT broker. Connect 100M+ IoT devices in one single cluster, move and process real-time IoT data with 1M msg/s throughput at 1ms latency.
Head-to-head comparisons
Home Assistant vs TasmotaHome Assistant vs Node REDHome Assistant vs ThingsboardNode RED vs TasmotaTasmota vs ThingsboardNode RED vs Thingsboard
All 20 self-hosted Internet of Things (IoT) apps
Ranked by GitHub stars weighted by maintenance health.
Tasmota
Firmware for ESP devices. Total local control with quick setup and updates. Control using MQTT, Web UI, HTTP or serial. Automate using timers, rules or scripts. Integration with home automation solutions.
Node RED
Browser-based flow editor that helps you wiring hardware devices, APIs and online services to create IoT solutions.
Thingsboard
IoT Platform - Device management, data collection, processing and visualization.
EMQX
Scalable MQTT broker. Connect 100M+ IoT devices in one single cluster, move and process real-time IoT data with 1M msg/s throughput at 1ms latency.
evcc
Extensible Electric Vehicle Charge Controller and home energy management system.
Domoticz
Home Automation System that lets you monitor and configure various devices like: Lights, Switches, various sensors/meters like Temperature, Rain, Wind, UV, Electra, Gas, Water and much more.
Gladys
Privacy-first home assistant.
WebThings Gateway
Implementation of the Web of Things, including the WebThings Gateway and the WebThings Framework.
OpenRemote
IoT Asset management, Flow Rules and WHEN-THEN rules, Data visualization, Edge Gateway.
ioBroker
Integration platform for the Internet of Things, focused on building automation, smart metering, ambient assisted living, process automation, visualization and data logging.
openHAB
Vendor and technology agnostic software for home automation.
SIP Irrigation Control
Software for sprinkler/irrigation control.
FlowForge
Deploy Node-RED applications in a reliable, scalable and secure manner. The FlowForge platform provides DevOps capabilities for Node-RED development teams.
FMD Server
Server to communicate with the FMD (Find My Device) Android app, to locate and control your devices.
SOLECTRUS
Photovoltaic dashboard that displays energy production and consumption with cost and savings calculations.
polluSensWeb
Web-based serial interface and charting tool for visualizing and logging data from UART pollution sensors (PM2.5, VOC, etc). Features live data acquisition, dynamic charts, CSV export, and webhook integration.
LHA
Light Home Automation application that is fully extensible using Blockly, HTML or Lua. It includes extensions such as ConBee, Philips Hue or Z-Wave JS.
Onloc
Track and share your location in real time. Control and lock stolen or lost phones.
FHEM
Automate common tasks in the household like switching lamps and heating. It can also be used to log events like temperature or power consumption. You can control it via web or smartphone frontends, telnet or TCP/IP directly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best self-hosted Internet of Things (IoT) software in 2026?
By GitHub stars, the most popular self-hosted Internet of Things (IoT) apps are Home Assistant (92,296 stars), Tasmota (24,974 stars), Node RED (23,826 stars). Popularity is only one signal: also check maintenance health, license and whether it fits your setup.
How many self-hosted Internet of Things (IoT) apps are actively maintained?
19 of the 20 apps listed had commits in the last 90 days; for 1 we have no repository activity data.
Which self-hosted Internet of Things (IoT) apps can I run with Docker?
11 of the 20 apps can run with Docker; 2 publish an image on Docker Hub, including EMQX and Domoticz.
Which licenses do self-hosted Internet of Things (IoT) apps use?
The most common licenses in this category are Apache-2.0 (6 apps), GPL-3.0 (5 apps), MIT (4 apps).
How much does it cost to self-host Internet of Things (IoT) software?
The software itself is free to download. Based on our rough hardware estimates, the cheapest suitable VPS plan starts at about $3.5/month (median $5/month across apps in this category). Several light apps can share one server.
Related categories
Figures from GitHub and Docker Hub as of 2026-11-15; hosting costs are rough estimates.