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IoT & Smart Home · head to head

ESPHome vs Hydrow

ESPHome logo

ESPHome

IoT & Smart Home

Custom firmware for ESP8266/ESP32 smart home devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
H

Hydrow

Fitness & Wellness

The live outdoor reality rower

From
$44/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ESPHome has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ESPHome eSPHome runs only on supported microcontrollers; the project recommends ESP32, ESP32-S3, ESP32-C3 and ESP32-C6 and advises against ESP8266 for new projects; Hydrow the vendor's own homepage as captured by the Internet Archive on 31 December 2021 priced the Hydrow rowing machine starting at $56 per month via 0% APR Klarna financing with $0 down, alongside a 30 day risk-free trial and a 1 year hardware warranty
  • They diverge on capability: ESPHome covers YAML Configuration, Hydrow covers Live outdoor reality rowing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ESPHome and Hydrow actually diverge.

Attributes where ESPHome and Hydrow differ
AttributeESPHomeHydrow
Starting priceFree$44/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsESP8266, ESP32, Docker, Raspberry PiIos, Android, Hardware
CategoryIoT & Smart HomeFitness & Wellness
Founded20182017

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ESPHome

  • YAML Configuration
  • OTA Updates
  • Home Assistant Native
  • Custom Components
  • Home Assistant
  • MQTT
  • API
  • Native integration

Only in Hydrow

  • Live outdoor reality rowing
  • On-water filming
  • Athlete-led workouts
  • Performance metrics
  • Community racing
  • Apple Watch
  • Bluetooth heart rate
  • Ios support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ESPHome

  • Building custom smart home sensors and switches on ESP32 hardwarenot Hydrow
  • Replacing vendor cloud firmware on ESP based devices with locally controlled firmwarenot Hydrow
  • Integrating DIY devices into Home Assistant over a native API or MQTTnot Hydrow

Hydrow

  • Workout trackingnot ESPHome
  • Nutrition managementnot ESPHome
  • Health monitoringnot ESPHome
  • Fitness coachingnot ESPHome
  • Wellness improvementnot ESPHome

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ESPHome

  • ESPHome runs only on supported microcontrollers; the project recommends ESP32, ESP32-S3, ESP32-C3 and ESP32-C6 and advises against ESP8266 for new projects
  • Support for ESP32-H2, RP2040 and other newer chips is documented as less mature
  • Large displays and some sensors do not work well on ESP8266 because of its limited RAM, which is roughly a fifth of an ESP32

Hydrow

  • The vendor's own homepage as captured by the Internet Archive on 31 December 2021 priced the Hydrow rowing machine starting at $56 per month via 0% APR Klarna financing with $0 down, alongside a 30 day risk-free trial and a 1 year hardware warranty

Pricing, plan by plan

ESPHome

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Full firmware
    • Home Assistant integration
    • Custom sensors

Hydrow

$44/month
  • All-Access$44/month
    • Live workouts
    • On-demand library
    • Family profiles

Which should you pick?

Choose ESPHome if

  • You need yaml configuration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on ESP8266, ESP32, Docker, Raspberry Pi.
  • You also want ota updates.
ESPHome review

Choose Hydrow if

  • You need live outdoor reality rowing.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Hardware.
  • You also want on-water filming.
Hydrow review

Questions people ask

Is ESPHome or Hydrow better?
Neither clearly leads. ESPHome starts at Free and Hydrow at $44/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ESPHome or Hydrow?
ESPHome has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ESPHome and $44/month for Hydrow.
Does ESPHome or Hydrow run on more platforms?
ESPHome runs on ESP8266, ESP32, Docker, Raspberry Pi. Hydrow runs on Ios, Android, Hardware.
Can I use ESPHome for free?
Yes. ESPHome has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hydrow starts at $44/month.
What is ESPHome best used for?
ESPHome is most often used for building custom smart home sensors and switches on esp32 hardware, replacing vendor cloud firmware on esp based devices with locally controlled firmware, integrating diy devices into home assistant over a native api or mqtt. Of those, building custom smart home sensors and switches on esp32 hardware and replacing vendor cloud firmware on esp based devices with locally controlled firmware are not what Hydrow is typically brought in for.
What can ESPHome do that Hydrow cannot?
ESPHome covers YAML Configuration, OTA Updates, Home Assistant Native, Custom Components. Hydrow covers Live outdoor reality rowing, On-water filming, Athlete-led workouts, Performance metrics.
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