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Smart Home · head to head

ESPHome vs Nebula

ESPHome logo

ESPHome

Smart Home

Custom firmware for ESP8266/ESP32 smart home devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nebula logo

Nebula

Networking

Certificate based overlay network from Slack, with identity and firewall rules carried in the certificate

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Nebula the open source project has no user interface, no enrolment workflow and no revocation service, so certificate issuing, distribution and expiry become scripts you write and then have to keep working.
  • They diverge on capability: ESPHome covers YAML Configuration, Nebula covers Certificate carried identity.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ESPHome and Nebula actually diverge.

Attributes where ESPHome and Nebula differ
AttributeESPHomeNebula
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsESP8266, ESP32, Docker, Raspberry PiLinux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, FreeBSD
CategorySmart HomeNetworking
Founded2018Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Nebula

  • Certificate carried identity
  • Group based host firewall
  • Lighthouse discovery
  • Noise protocol encryption
  • Unsafe routes
  • Managed option

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 Nebula
  • Replacing vendor cloud firmware on ESP based devices with locally controlled firmwarenot Nebula
  • Integrating DIY devices into Home Assistant over a native API or MQTTnot Nebula

Nebula

  • Flattening a network across several clouds and datacentres without VPC peering or route tablesnot ESPHome
  • Very large fleets where a central policy service on the connection path is unacceptablenot ESPHome
  • Environments that already run an internal certificate authority and want the network to use itnot ESPHome
  • Replacing per host iptables rules with policy written against roles that follow the hostnot 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

Nebula

  • The open source project has no user interface, no enrolment workflow and no revocation service, so certificate issuing, distribution and expiry become scripts you write and then have to keep working.
  • Revoking a compromised host means distributing a blocklist entry to every other host and reloading them, which is a fleet wide operation rather than a click, and easy to get wrong under pressure.
  • Changing a host group membership means reissuing and redeploying its certificate, so policy changes are a deployment rather than a configuration edit.
  • There is no identity provider integration or single sign on in the open source version, so it maps well to servers and badly to a fleet of user laptops.
  • NAT traversal is best effort and hosts behind symmetric NAT need a relay configured deliberately, so connectivity failures show up as intermittent rather than immediate and are awkward to diagnose.

Pricing, plan by plan

ESPHome

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

Nebula

Free
  • NebulaFree
    • Full functionality under the MIT licence
    • No host limit
    • You operate the certificate authority and lighthouses
  • Defined Networking$undefined/month
    • Hosted control plane and enrolment
    • Managed certificate lifecycle and revocation
    • Policy and DNS interface

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 Nebula if

  • You need certificate carried identity.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, FreeBSD.
  • You also want group based host firewall.
Nebula review

Questions people ask

Is ESPHome or Nebula better?
Neither clearly leads. ESPHome starts at Free and Nebula at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ESPHome or Nebula?
ESPHome starts at Free and Nebula at Free.
Does ESPHome or Nebula run on more platforms?
ESPHome runs on ESP8266, ESP32, Docker, Raspberry Pi. Nebula runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, FreeBSD.
Can I use ESPHome for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Nebula is typically brought in for.
What can ESPHome do that Nebula cannot?
ESPHome covers YAML Configuration, OTA Updates, Home Assistant Native, Custom Components. Nebula covers Certificate carried identity, Group based host firewall, Lighthouse discovery, Noise protocol encryption.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ESPHome: Is ESPHome free to use?

Yes. ESPHome is free and open-source software. The Desktop App, Device Builder, components, and recipe tools are all available at no cost.

Source
Nebula: Does it use WireGuard?

No. Nebula predates the common WireGuard mesh tools and uses the Noise protocol framework with its own certificate format.

ESPHome: What is the cost to run ESPHome?

ESPHome software itself is completely free. Hardware devices and components used with ESPHome vary in cost depending on which microcontrollers and IoT devices you choose.

Source
Nebula: Can I run it without Defined Networking?

Yes, entirely. Defined Networking sells the control plane conveniences, not the network itself.

ESPHome: Does ESPHome require a subscription or license fee?

No. ESPHome is open-source software with no subscription fees, license costs, or commercial restrictions associated with its use.

Source
Nebula: How do I revoke a host?

Add its certificate fingerprint to the blocklist in the configuration of the other hosts and reload them. There is no online revocation check.

Nebula: Is it a good fit for laptops?

Less so than the identity provider based tools. There is no single sign on, so every laptop needs a certificate issued and renewed by whatever process you build.

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