Softwr

Smart Home · head to head

OpenHAB vs Yeelight

OpenHAB logo

OpenHAB

Smart Home

Open source automation software for your home

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Yeelight logo

Yeelight

Smart Home

Smart lighting for modern homes

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OpenHAB has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: OpenHAB requires a 64-bit Java 21 JVM to be installed and maintained separately; Yeelight requires owning Yeelight-branded smart lighting hardware; the app itself is a controller with no standalone function
  • They diverge on capability: OpenHAB covers Vendor Agnostic, Yeelight covers Color control.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenHAB and Yeelight actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenHAB and Yeelight differ
AttributeOpenHABYeelight
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourceone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Windows, MacOS, Docker, Raspberry PiIOS, Android
Founded20102012

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Smart Home).

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 OpenHAB

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

Only in Yeelight

  • Color control
  • Brightness dimming
  • Schedules
  • Music sync
  • Sunrise/sunset
  • Scenes
  • Google Assistant
  • Amazon Alexa

What people use each for

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

OpenHAB

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

Yeelight

  • Ambient lightingnot OpenHAB
  • Entertainment syncnot OpenHAB
  • Automated schedulesnot OpenHAB
  • Energy savingnot OpenHAB

Where each one falls short

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

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

Yeelight

  • Requires owning Yeelight-branded smart lighting hardware; the app itself is a controller with no standalone function
  • Requires iOS 16.2 or later, per the App Store listing

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenHAB

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

Yeelight

On request
  • Smart Bulb$15/month
    • WiFi
    • 16M colors
    • Voice control
  • Light Strip$30/month
    • Music sync
    • Extendable
    • Scene modes

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Yeelight if

  • You need color control.
  • You work on IOS, Android.
  • You also want brightness dimming.
Yeelight review

Questions people ask

Is OpenHAB or Yeelight better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenHAB starts at Free and Yeelight at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenHAB or Yeelight?
OpenHAB has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OpenHAB and On request for Yeelight.
Does OpenHAB or Yeelight run on more platforms?
OpenHAB runs on Linux, Windows, MacOS, Docker, Raspberry Pi. Yeelight runs on IOS, Android.
Can I use OpenHAB for free?
Yes. OpenHAB has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Yeelight starts at On request.
What is OpenHAB best used for?
OpenHAB is most often used for self-hosted vendor neutral home automation hub, bridging smart home devices from different manufacturers under one set of rules. Of those, self-hosted vendor neutral home automation hub and bridging smart home devices from different manufacturers under one set of rules are not what Yeelight is typically brought in for.
What can OpenHAB do that Yeelight cannot?
OpenHAB covers Vendor Agnostic, Rule Engine, 200+ Bindings, Local Processing. Yeelight covers Color control, Brightness dimming, Schedules, Music sync.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OpenHAB: How much does openHAB cost?

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

Source
Yeelight: Where can I find Yeelight pricing?

The main Yeelight website redirects to a Chinese regional site (cn.yeelight.com) which does not display pricing information. Specific pricing details would need to be found through product pages or local retailers.

Source
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
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
Share

Related pages

More on OpenHAB

More on Yeelight

Keep looking

Other head to heads