What is Zigbee2MQTT used for?

Zigbee2MQTT bridges Zigbee devices to MQTT so you can use them without a vendor's proprietary gateway in any smart home system. It is a good fit for replacing proprietary Zigbee hubs and connecting Zigbee sensors to Home Assistant.

Is Zigbee2MQTT open source?

Yes. Zigbee2MQTT is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at Koenkk/zigbee2mqtt and is written mainly in TypeScript.

Yes. Zigbee2MQTT is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Zigbee2MQTT?

Yes. Zigbee2MQTT can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.

What is Zigbee2MQTT an alternative to?

Zigbee2MQTT is an open-source alternative to SmartThings, Aqara Home and Philips Hue. Other open-source alternatives to SmartThings include Home Assistant, Home Assistant OS and openHAB.

Is Zigbee2MQTT actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Zigbee2MQTT was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 2.14.2, published on 1 October 2026. The project has 16k stars on GitHub.

Zigbee2MQTT: open-source alternative to SmartThings

About Zigbee2MQTT

Zigbee2MQTT lets you use Zigbee devices without the manufacturer's bridge or gateway. It bridges events and allows you to control your devices through MQTT, so they can plug into whatever smart home infrastructure you already use. It is written in TypeScript and released under the GPL-3.0 license.

Because it speaks MQTT, it works with almost any home automation system. The README highlights integrations with Home Assistant (including an official add-on), Homey, Domoticz, Gladys Assistant and ioBroker. A Zigbee adapter connects to the host, and documentation guides installation and explains Zigbee terminology for newcomers.

Internally it is made up of modules developed in separate GitHub projects. The zigbee-herdsman module talks to the adapter, such as Texas Instruments hardware, and exposes an API, while zigbee-herdsman-converters maps individual device models to the Zigbee clusters they support. It runs on your own hardware, so there is no vendor cloud involved.

Key features

Bridges Zigbee devices to MQTT
Works without vendor bridges or gateways
Home Assistant add-on available
Integrations with Homey, Domoticz and ioBroker
Device converters for many Zigbee models
Documentation and Zigbee primer

Good fit for

→Replacing proprietary Zigbee hubs
→Connecting Zigbee sensors to Home Assistant

Built with: TypeScript
Tags: zigbee; mqtt; home-automation; smart-home; iot; home-assistant; typescript; bridge

Zigbee2MQTT: questions and answers

What is Zigbee2MQTT used for?: Zigbee2MQTT bridges Zigbee devices to MQTT so you can use them without a vendor's proprietary gateway in any smart home system. It is a good fit for replacing proprietary Zigbee hubs and connecting Zigbee sensors to Home Assistant.
Is Zigbee2MQTT open source?: Yes. Zigbee2MQTT is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at Koenkk/zigbee2mqtt and is written mainly in TypeScript.
Is Zigbee2MQTT free?: Yes. Zigbee2MQTT is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Zigbee2MQTT?: Yes. Zigbee2MQTT can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.
What is Zigbee2MQTT an alternative to?: Zigbee2MQTT is an open-source alternative to SmartThings, Aqara Home and Philips Hue. Other open-source alternatives to SmartThings include Home Assistant, Home Assistant OS and openHAB.
Is Zigbee2MQTT actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Zigbee2MQTT was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 2.14.2, published on 1 October 2026. The project has 16k stars on GitHub.