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Automation Integration · head to head

Nango vs OpenHAB

Nango logo

Nango

Automation Integration

Open source unified API and OAuth infrastructure for product integrations, licensed under Elastic License 2.0

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenHAB logo

OpenHAB

Smart Home

Open source automation software for your home

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Nango the licence is Elastic License 2.0, which is source available rather than OSI open source, and it forbids offering Nango to third parties as a managed service, so anyone planning to resell or embed it in a platform for their own customers has a genuine legal problem.; OpenHAB requires a 64-bit Java 21 JVM to be installed and maintained separately
  • They diverge on capability: Nango covers Managed OAuth, OpenHAB covers Vendor Agnostic.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nango and OpenHAB actually diverge.

Attributes where Nango and OpenHAB differ
AttributeNangoOpenHAB
Pricing modelPer connection per monthopen-source
PlatformsWeb, Linux, DockerLinux, Windows, MacOS, Docker, Raspberry Pi
CategoryAutomation IntegrationSmart Home
FoundedUnknown2010

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 Nango

  • Managed OAuth
  • Pre-built integrations
  • Custom syncs and actions
  • Incremental sync
  • Rate limit and retry handling
  • Webhooks
  • Self-hosting
  • Unified models

Only in OpenHAB

  • Vendor Agnostic
  • Rule Engine
  • 200+ Bindings
  • Local Processing
  • Z-Wave
  • Zigbee
  • MQTT
  • REST API

What people use each for

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

Nango

  • A SaaS product that needs to ship twenty customer-facing integrations without hiring a team to maintain OAuth and token refresh for eachnot OpenHAB
  • A team that needs a niche or internal API integrated, which closed unified API vendors will not build for themnot OpenHAB
  • A company with data residency or security constraints that must self-host the integration layer rather than send customer tokens to a vendornot OpenHAB
  • An engineering team replacing a homegrown integration service whose main cost is silent token expiry and rate limit failures in productionnot OpenHAB

OpenHAB

  • Self-hosted vendor neutral home automation hubnot Nango
  • Bridging smart home devices from different manufacturers under one set of rulesnot Nango

Where each one falls short

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

Nango

  • The licence is Elastic License 2.0, which is source available rather than OSI open source, and it forbids offering Nango to third parties as a managed service, so anyone planning to resell or embed it in a platform for their own customers has a genuine legal problem.
  • Pricing is per connection where a connection is one authorised end-user account, so cost scales linearly with your customer base and a product where each user links several services multiplies quickly beyond what a headline plan price suggests.
  • Pre-built integrations vary in depth, and a connection that exists is not the same as a connection that covers the endpoints and objects your feature needs, so each one must be verified before it is designed into a roadmap.
  • Custom syncs are written in TypeScript and run in Nango model, which means integration logic lives in a vendor runtime and migrating away later requires rewriting it rather than lifting it out.
  • Self-hosting removes the vendor from the data path but transfers operational responsibility for a component that holds customer OAuth tokens, and few teams appreciate the security burden that comes with running that themselves.

OpenHAB

  • Requires a 64-bit Java 21 JVM to be installed and maintained separately
  • Oracle Java is explicitly not recommended by the project because of potential licensing restrictions
  • The recommended hardware is a dedicated Raspberry Pi 4 or newer rather than shared hardware
  • Some version upgrades require additional manual steps run through a separate upgrade tool

Pricing, plan by plan

Nango

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10 connections
    • Pre-built integrations
    • Managed OAuth
  • Starter$50/month
    • 20 connections included
    • 1 USD per additional connection
    • Custom syncs and actions
  • Growth$500/month
    • 100 connections included
    • 1 USD per additional connection
    • Higher limits
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Quoted
    • Custom connection volumes
    • Security review and SLA

OpenHAB

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Unlimited devices
    • 200+ bindings
    • Local control

Which should you pick?

Choose Nango if

  • You need managed oauth.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Docker.
  • You also want pre-built integrations.
Nango review

Choose OpenHAB if

  • You need vendor agnostic.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, MacOS, Docker, Raspberry Pi.
  • You also want rule engine.
OpenHAB review

Questions people ask

Is Nango or OpenHAB better?
Neither clearly leads. Nango starts at Free and OpenHAB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nango or OpenHAB?
Nango starts at Free and OpenHAB at Free.
Does Nango or OpenHAB run on more platforms?
Nango runs on Web, Linux, Docker. OpenHAB runs on Linux, Windows, MacOS, Docker, Raspberry Pi.
Can I use Nango for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Nango best used for?
Nango is most often used for a saas product that needs to ship twenty customer-facing integrations without hiring a team to maintain oauth and token refresh for each, a team that needs a niche or internal api integrated, which closed unified api vendors will not build for them, a company with data residency or security constraints that must self-host the integration layer rather than send customer tokens to a vendor, an engineering team replacing a homegrown integration service whose main cost is silent token expiry and rate limit failures in production. Of those, a saas product that needs to ship twenty customer-facing integrations without hiring a team to maintain oauth and token refresh for each and a team that needs a niche or internal api integrated, which closed unified api vendors will not build for them are not what OpenHAB is typically brought in for.
What can Nango do that OpenHAB cannot?
Nango covers Managed OAuth, Pre-built integrations, Custom syncs and actions, Incremental sync. OpenHAB covers Vendor Agnostic, Rule Engine, 200+ Bindings, Local Processing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Nango: Is Nango open source?

It is source available under Elastic License 2.0. You can read, modify and self-host it, but you cannot offer it to third parties as a managed service. That is not the same as an OSI approved open source licence.

OpenHAB: How much does openHAB cost?

openHAB is 100% open source and completely free to download, install, and use across all supported platforms.

Source
Nango: How is it priced?

Per connection per month, where a connection is one authorised end-user account. Free to 10 connections, 50 dollars a month for Starter with 20, 500 for Growth with 100, and one dollar per additional connection.

OpenHAB: Are there any subscription fees for openHAB?

No, openHAB has no subscription fees. The software is free and released under an open source license for unlimited use.

Source
Nango: Can we integrate an API Nango does not support?

Yes. Custom syncs and actions in TypeScript cover any API including internal ones, which is the main advantage over closed unified API products.

OpenHAB: How can I support openHAB?

While openHAB is free to use, the project accepts voluntary donations through the openHAB Foundation to support development and maintenance.

Source
Nango: Can we self-host it?

Yes, under the Elastic License 2.0 terms, which permit self-hosting for your own use but not resale as a service.

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