Best self-hosted Internet of Things (IoT) apps
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.
19 open source Internet of Things (IoT) tools you host on your own server — with full control of your data and no per-user cost.
Home Assistant
★ 87,925Home Assistant is the most popular open source home automation hub, integrating thousands of smart-home devices into a single dashboard. It runs locally, so your automations keep working without internet and your data stays off any vendor cloud.
Tasmota
★ 24,501Open source 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
★ 23,340Browser-based flow editor that helps you wiring hardware devices, APIs and online services to create IoT solutions.
Thingsboard
★ 21,931Open-source IoT Platform - Device management, data collection, processing and visualization.
EMQX
★ 16,422Scalable 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
★ 6,854Extensible Electric Vehicle Charge Controller and home energy management system.
Domoticz
★ 3,785Home 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
★ 3,066Privacy-first home assistant.
WebThings Gateway
★ 2,638WebThings is an open source implementation of the Web of Things, including the WebThings Gateway and the WebThings Framework.
OpenRemote
★ 1,782IoT Asset management, Flow Rules and WHEN-THEN rules, Data visualization, Edge Gateway.
ioBroker
★ 1,372Integration platform for the Internet of Things, focused on building automation, smart metering, ambient assisted living, process automation, visualization and data logging.
openHAB
★ 1,123Vendor and technology agnostic open source software for home automation.
SIP Irrigation Control
★ 416Open source software for sprinkler/irrigation control.
FlowForge
★ 391Deploy Node-RED applications in a reliable, scalable and secure manner. The FlowForge platform provides DevOps capabilities for Node-RED development teams.
FMD Server
★ 204A server to communicate with the FMD (Find My Device) Android app, to locate and control your devices.
SOLECTRUS
★ 157Photovoltaic dashboard that displays energy production and consumption with cost and savings calculations.
LHA
★ 12Light 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
★ 8Track 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 are the best self-hosted Internet of Things (IoT) tools?
Among the 19 options, the most popular include Home Assistant, Tasmota, Node RED. Compare license, platform and popularity in the list below.
Is there a free open source alternative for Internet of Things (IoT)?
Yes — all 19 tools on this page are open source and you run them on your own server, with no monthly fee.
Where can I host a Internet of Things (IoT) app?
On a home server (homelab) or a cheap VPS from ~€4/mo. See the suggestions on this page.