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FHEM VS Node-RED

Compare FHEM VS Node-RED and see what are their differences

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Contents:
  1. » Base Details
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  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

FHEM logo FHEM

FHEM (TM) is a GPL'd perl server for house automation.

Node-RED logo Node-RED

Node-RED is a programming tool for wiring together hardware devices, APIs and online services in new and interesting ways.
  • FHEM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-28
  • Node-RED Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-23

FHEM features and specs

  • Device Support
    FHEM supports a wide range of devices and protocols, making it versatile and useful for integrating various smart home products.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, FHEM allows users to modify and extend the software, fostering a community of developers who can contribute to its continuous improvement.
  • Customization
    Users can extensively customize FHEM based on their needs, allowing for personalized home automation setups that fit anyone's specific requirements.
  • Community Support
    There is a dedicated community around FHEM, offering forums and resources where users can seek help, share ideas, and find tutorials.
  • Platform Independence
    FHEM can be run on various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS, providing flexibility in deployment.

Possible disadvantages of FHEM

  • Complexity
    FHEM has a steep learning curve and may require a significant amount of time to understand and configure, especially for beginners.
  • Interface
    The user interface of FHEM is considered outdated and not as intuitive or visually appealing as other modern smart home solutions.
  • Documentation
    While documentation exists, it is sometimes fragmented or lacks comprehensive guides, making it challenging for new users to get started.
  • Maintenance
    Being a community-driven project, there might be delays in updates or support for new devices compared to commercial solutions.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running FHEM can be resource-intensive, potentially requiring powerful hardware for optimal performance with large or complex setups.

Node-RED features and specs

  • Visual Programming
    Node-RED offers a flow-based development interface which allows users to create applications by wiring together pre-built nodes, making it intuitive and easier to understand, especially for non-programmers.
  • Extensibility
    The platform is highly extensible with a large library of pre-built nodes available and support for creating custom nodes. This makes it adaptable to a wide range of use cases.
  • Event-Driven
    Node-RED is designed around an event-driven architecture, which is beneficial for handling asynchronous events and real-time data.
  • Cross-Platform
    Node-RED is based on Node.js and runs on various platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, and even low-resource devices like Raspberry Pi.
  • Integrations
    It offers extensive integration capabilities with various protocols (like MQTT, HTTP, and WebSockets) and a wide variety of services (like databases, cloud services, and IoT platforms).

Possible disadvantages of Node-RED

  • Performance
    Being a higher-level tool built on Node.js, it may not match the performance of systems built directly using lower-level languages and tools, particularly for very resource-intensive applications.
  • Complexity with Large Flows
    As the number of nodes and flows increases, the visual representation can become cluttered and harder to manage. This might make debugging and maintenance more difficult.
  • Scalability
    While suitable for small to medium-sized projects, Node-RED may face challenges in scaling to very large, enterprise-level applications without significant architectural adjustments.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    Although it simplifies basic tasks, there can be a steep learning curve to unlock its full potential, particularly when dealing with sophisticated integrations or custom node development.
  • Security
    The out-of-the-box security features may not be sufficient for all applications. Additional measures such as authentication, encryption, and network security must be implemented for deployment in sensitive environments.

Analysis of Node-RED

Overall verdict

  • Node-RED is generally considered a good tool, particularly for non-programmers and those looking to quickly prototype and deploy IoT solutions. Its visual interface simplifies the development process and can handle a wide variety of integration tasks.

Why this product is good

  • Node-RED is an open-source flow-based programming tool primarily intended for wiring together hardware devices, APIs, and online services as part of the Internet of Things (IoT). It is visually driven, allowing users to create and deploy complex workflows and automation processes with minimal programming knowledge. Its extensive library of pre-built nodes and its active community contribute to its flexibility and ease of use.

Recommended for

  • IoT enthusiasts
  • Quick prototyping of automation flows
  • Integrating various APIs and services
  • Users who prefer a visual programming interface
  • Educational purposes for teaching programming and IoT concepts

FHEM videos

+ Add

FHEM vs. ioBroker | haus-automatisierung.com [4K]

More videos:

  • Review - FHEM - Folge: 5.2 - CUL anschließen

Node-RED videos

+ Add

Intro to Node-RED: Part 1 Fundamentals

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to FHEM and Node-RED)

FHEM

Node-RED

Home
100 100%
Home
0% 0
Automation
0 0%
Automation
100% 100
Data Dashboard
100 100%
Data Dashboard
0% 0
DevOps Tools
0 0%
DevOps Tools
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using FHEM and Node-RED. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare FHEM and Node-RED

FHEM Reviews

List of Open Source Home Automation Software
FHEM is a popular home automation system. It is an open-source Perl based server for home automation that provides all the necessary features for home automation. This home automation system works on all 3 major operating systems i.e.: Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Source: linuxhint.com
16 Open Source Home Automation Platforms To Use In 2020
FHEM is well-known in the world of home automation. It's an open source (GPL) perl server used to automate common tasks in the house such as switching the lights on or off, regulating the heating, and more. Most of the protocols used in home automation are supported with FHEM, and the documentation is great… if you can manage to find what you're looking for. With a bit of a...
Source: ubidots.com
9 Home Automation Open-Source Platforms for Your projects
FHEM is a GPL’d perl server for home automation. It automates tasks like switching lamps, shutters, heating and so on. It also logs events like temperature, humidity and power consumption.
Source: randomnerdtutorials.com

Node-RED Reviews

10 n8n.io Alternatives
Node-RED is a flow-based development and programming tool for visual programming presented in the market by IBM for wiring together online services and hardware devices as part of the internet of things. Web browser-based flow editor is available over this software to create JavaScript functions, and elements of apps can be saved or shared for using reprocess. Back in 2016,...
Source: www.justalternativeto.com
Open Source Internet of Things (IoT) Platforms
Node-RED is a visual tool for lining the Internet of Things, i.e., wiring together hardware devices, APIs, and online services in new ways. Built on Node.js, Node-RED describes itself as “a visual means for wiring the Internet of Things.”
Source: jansutris10.medium.com
9 Home Automation Open-Source Platforms for Your projects
If you would like to know how to build your own home automation system with Node-RED, Raspberry Pi, ESP8266 and Arduino, I’ve just released a new course on this subject: Build an Home Automation System for $100.
Source: randomnerdtutorials.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Node-RED seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 127 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

FHEM mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of FHEM yet. Tracking of FHEM recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Node-RED mentions (127)

  • Erlang-Red: Node-Red with an Erlang Back End
    Ahh, you didn't create Node-RED editor. That's an external project. https://nodered.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 17 days ago
  • Hardware Metrics Collection with IOT Devices
    Node Red is a unique application that provides a graphical programming environment. With this, you can define input to output transformation with any level of complexity, including reading, parsing, formatting, and output with optional conditionals. For example, here is a flow definition that parses MQTT JSON messages that communicate if a node is alive, and then store this information in InfluxDB:. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Home Assistant and ESP Home: How to use MQTT Integration for Dynamic Device Configuration
    For a simple test, I created this Node Red flow that listens to homeassistant/status messages. HA itself will send messages that communicate when its started or when it is about to shutdown. These messages, and a custom message I send from within HA, could be seen:. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Data Visualization on the e-RT3 using Node-RED, InfluxDB Cloud, and Grafana
    Node-RED (e-RT3) Flow-based, low code development tool. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Top 15 Open-Source Low-Code Projects with the Most GitHub Stars
    GitHub Https://github.com/node-red/node-red GitHub Stars 19.1k Most Recent Update on GitHub 2 weeks ago Open Source License Apache 2.0 Number of Active Contributors This Year 13 Acceptance of External PRs Yes Official Website Https://nodered.org/ Documentation Https://nodered.org/docs/. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing FHEM and Node-RED, you can also consider the following products

Home-Assistant.io - Home Assistant is an open-source home automation platform running on Python 3.

n8n.io - Free and open fair-code licensed node based Workflow Automation Tool. Easily automate tasks across different services.

openHAB - "empowering the smart home" - vendor and technology agnostic open source home automation

Zapier - Connect the apps you use everyday to automate your work and be more productive. 1000+ apps and easy integrations - get started in minutes.

ioBroker - flexible and modular application for the IoT and Smarthome

ifttt - IFTTT puts the internet to work for you. Create simple connections between the products you use every day.

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