openHAB is an open-source home automation framework written in Java and built on the OSGi component model. It connects devices through a library of community-maintained bindings covering Z-Wave, Zigbee, KNX, MQTT, and hundreds of vendor-specific APIs, all processed locally with no mandatory cloud dependency. The project is backed by the openHAB Foundation and has been under continuous development since 2010.
Reviewed by Marco Wollank
openHAB
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Threat level
Hardened
A hardened pick. Worth the effort once you have chosen to shrink your footprint on purpose. Enough for most people. Threat levels
Our take
openHAB’s vendor-neutral design and deep OSGi architecture make it the right pick for integrators who need to bridge legacy industrial protocols (KNX, Modbus) alongside modern IoT devices, a capability Home Assistant only covers with add-ons. Everything runs on your own hardware with full local control. The honest catch is that the Java/OSGi stack and rule-based DSL have a steeper learning curve than most competitors, and the UI tooling lags behind what Home Assistant now ships. For technical users running a mixed commercial and custom device estate who want a stable, foundation-backed platform, openHAB is a serious choice; for newcomers, the getting-started experience is considerably more demanding.
GitHub at a glance
openhab/openhab-core
Stars
1,129
+ 6 this week
Last commit
8d ago
healthy
License
EPL-2.0
Stars, last 30d
Website at a glance
openhab.org
C score 50
Basic website security headers
Graded by Mozilla HTTP Observatory, tested 13d ago
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Measures the security configuration of the tool's own website, not the privacy of the product itself. A strong tool can still score low here.
openHAB alternatives
HomeKit Apple's smart home framework. End-to-end encrypted home data, on-device camera processing.
Home Assistant Local-first, open-source home automation hub with thousands of device integrations and no mandatory cloud.
Domoticz Lightweight open-source home automation system that runs well on low-power hardware like a Raspberry Pi.
ioBroker Open-source IoT and home automation platform built on Node.js with a large adapter ecosystem.
openHAB license, in plain English
EPL-2.0 Open source
An open source license. See its full text for the exact terms.
Why it matters: We do not have a plain-language summary for this license yet. Read its full text for the exact terms.
Plain-language summary of the project's license, not legal advice. Read the full text for the exact terms.
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