Gladys Assistant vs Jeedom
An honest comparison between two French open-source home assistants
Hesitating between Gladys Assistant and Jeedom? Both are open-source and both let you build a smart home that runs at home rather than in someone else's cloud. This comparison will save you hours.
Full transparency: I'm Pierre-Gilles, the creator of Gladys Assistant, so I'm obviously biased. But I'll be fair about both projects. Jeedom is a serious, mature platform with a huge plugin ecosystem, and I'll credit it where it deserves it.
The real difference isn't "open-source vs proprietary" or "local vs cloud", because they're alike on those. It's about philosophy: Jeedom is built around a vast, flexible plugin marketplace, while Gladys is built around a polished, curated, product-grade experience. That difference is exactly what should guide your choice.
The short version
Choose Gladys Assistant if…
- You want a clean, modern interface and something that simply works out of the box.
- You'd rather every integration be free and open, with no per-plugin fees.
- You value stability: updates are fully automatic and atomic.
- You like betting on open standards (Zigbee, Matter, MQTT) over a sprawling plugin catalog.
Choose Jeedom if…
- You want the largest possible plugin marketplace, including very niche devices.
- You rely on Z-Wave and want deep, mature support for it.
- You like an all-in-one French box (Atlas, Luna, Smart) with everything built in.
- You enjoy a powerful, highly flexible scenario engine and don't mind paying for some plugins.
Quick comparison
| Gladys Assistant | Jeedom | |
|---|---|---|
| Created | 2013 | 2014 |
| Origin | France | France |
| Backend | Node.js (JavaScript) | PHP |
| Frontend | Preact | jQuery / traditional web UI |
| Installation | One Docker command, rich docs and videos, or a starter kit pre-installed | Debian image, Raspberry Pi, or a Jeedom box (Atlas, Luna, Smart) |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner-friendly, guided step by step | Approachable, but more technical once you dig in |
| Configuration files | None: everything is in the interface | None: everything is in the interface too |
| Integrations | Curated and polished, built around open standards (Zigbee, Matter, MQTT) | Huge plugin marketplace, broad protocol coverage including Z-Wave |
| Integration pricing | All integrations are free and open-source | Freemium: many plugins are excellent but paid |
| Automations | One simple "Scenes" tab, visual editor, Node-RED | Powerful scenario engine, Blockly visual editor, very flexible |
| Native alarm mode | Yes | Via a plugin |
| Updates | Fully automatic and atomic | Manual core and per-plugin updates |
| Support | Direct answers from the maker, active French community | Large, very active French community + Market support |
| Pricing | Free & open-source + optional Gladys Plus subscription | Free & open-source core + paid plugins + paid remote access (Market) |
| Philosophy | User-first, product-grade simplicity | Flexibility through a vast plugin ecosystem |
Installation
Gladys runs with a single Docker command (a `docker run` line or a `docker-compose` file you copy, paste and launch), and the documentation walks you through every step with screenshots and installation videos.
If you'd rather skip setup entirely, the official starter kit is a Beelink mini-PC that arrives with Gladys already installed and configured. You plug it in, follow the quick-start guide, and you're up and running in minutes.
And because Gladys is just a container, you stay free to use your mini-PC, NAS or Raspberry Pi for other things too.
Jeedom offers a ready-to-flash Debian image for Raspberry Pi, and a polished range of all-in-one boxes (Atlas, Luna, Smart) that arrive ready to use, often with Zigbee and Z-Wave already built in.
That hardware route is genuinely convenient: buy the box, plug it in, done. Installing the core yourself on your own machine is also possible, though the Docker story is less central than it is with Gladys.
The verdictBoth are easy if you buy their hardware. Gladys is especially simple to install yourself thanks to a one-line Docker setup, while Jeedom's boxes are a strong plug-and-play option with radios already inside.
Interface & ease of use
Gladys has a clean, intuitive interface. The whole philosophy is to think about the user before the technical implementation: you never have to dig into logs or edit a file on disk. Everything happens with the mouse.
You can build as many dashboards as you want, one per room or by theme (energy, security, and so on). The interface is deliberately focused: you arrange the widgets you actually need instead of wading through endless options.
It feels like a modern consumer product, which is exactly the point.
Jeedom is also configured entirely from a web interface, with no YAML to edit, and it's extremely customizable: you can shape dashboards and objects in fine detail.
The flip side is that the interface shows its age and exposes a lot of options at once. It's powerful, but it can feel more technical and less polished, especially for a newcomer who just wants a clean result quickly.
The verdictBoth avoid configuration files. Gladys leans toward a modern, focused, product-grade experience; Jeedom gives you more knobs and depth if you enjoy fine-tuning every detail.
Integrations & plugins
Gladys focuses on what matters: a curated set of integrations built around open standards like Zigbee, Matter and MQTT. Each one is carefully built and tested end to end, and they're all free and open-source, with no per-plugin fees.
Through Zigbee and Matter alone, that already means thousands of compatible devices. The bet is that open standards, Matter especially, will dominate, so Gladys invests heavily where the market is heading.
For anything not natively supported yet, Matterbridge can bridge devices onto a Matter network, including a Jeedom or Home Assistant plugin.
This is where Jeedom shines: a huge plugin marketplace covering an enormous range of protocols and brands, including deep, mature Z-Wave support. If a device exists, there's often a Jeedom plugin for it.
The trade-off is the freemium model: many of the best plugins are paid, so the real cost of your setup depends on which plugins you need. Quality also varies between official and community plugins.
The verdictIf you want the widest catalog and strong Z-Wave, Jeedom's marketplace is hard to beat, as long as you're comfortable paying for some plugins. If you prefer free, open, curated integrations centered on Zigbee and Matter, Gladys is the cleaner choice.
Automations & scenarios
Everything lives in a single "Scenes" tab. A scene can be a manual sequence of actions you trigger from your dashboard, or a full automation with triggers, conditions and actions.
The visual editor is intuitive: you start with a trigger (optional), then chain as many conditions and actions as you want, mixing them freely. It's surprisingly powerful while staying easy to read.
And if you ever need to go further, you can offload complex logic to Node-RED and connect it to Gladys over MQTT or HTTP.
Jeedom's scenario engine is one of its strongest features: very flexible, with a Blockly visual editor and the ability to drop into more advanced logic when you need it.
That power is great for tinkerers building intricate automations, but it also means more concepts to learn, and simple automations can take a few more steps to set up than they do in Gladys.
The verdictJeedom offers a deeper, more flexible scenario engine for power users. Gladys keeps everything in one simple, readable place that's faster to learn and more than capable for everyday automations.
Community & support
Gladys is fully available in English: the interface, the documentation and the community all work in English, so you're never stuck translating a French-only tutorial just to get something done.
You also get direct support from the founder. If you have a question, even a deep one about the code, you can email me, post on the forum, or reach out on social media, and you'll get a personal answer. The roadmap is shaped by real user feedback rather than by what's easiest to build.
Jeedom has a large and very active community with a busy forum and plenty of tutorials, so someone has usually already solved your problem, as long as you read French.
That's the catch for an English-speaking audience: Jeedom is essentially a French-only project. Its interface, documentation and community are overwhelmingly in French, which can be a real barrier if you don't speak it. Paid support is also available through the Market, but day-to-day help is community-driven rather than a direct line to the creators.
The verdictFor an English speaker this matters a lot: Jeedom is essentially French-only, while Gladys is fully available in English, with personal, founder-led support on top.
Pricing & business model
Gladys is 100% free and open-source at its core, forever, and every integration is free too. There's an optional Gladys Plus subscription for remote access, encrypted automated backups, voice assistants (Google Home, Alexa), AI and Enedis energy data.
I also sell starter kits, not to make margin but to make Gladys more accessible. The business model is really the subscription, with no investors, no ads and no data resale.
Jeedom's core is also open-source, and it earns money differently: through hardware sales (its boxes), paid plugins on the Market, and a paid remote-access service.
It's a transparent model too, but the total cost of a Jeedom setup is less predictable up front, because it depends on which paid plugins and services you end up needing.
The verdictBoth fund independent projects rather than data-hungry giants. With Gladys, integrations are free and the cost is a single optional subscription; with Jeedom, the core is free but a full setup often involves paid plugins and services.
Why not both?
Here's the part most comparisons miss: you don't have to choose. You can run Gladys Assistant and Jeedom on the same setup at the same time.
With Zigbee2MQTT, a single Zigbee instance can talk to both Gladys and Jeedom, so the same device shows up in both interfaces. The same goes for Matter: a device paired to a hub can be controlled from several controllers at once.
You can also bridge devices between them with Matterbridge, or simply have them talk over MQTT or HTTP, since both expose APIs. So if you love the Gladys interface but need a specific Jeedom plugin, run them side by side.
There's really no excuse: everything is possible, and it's a great way to migrate gradually rather than all at once.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jeedom available in English?
Jeedom is essentially a French-only project: its interface, documentation and community are overwhelmingly in French, which can be a real barrier if you don't speak it. Gladys Assistant, by contrast, is fully available in English, interface, documentation and community alike.
Which is easier for beginners, Gladys or Jeedom?
Gladys is generally easier for beginners thanks to its modern, focused interface and fully automatic updates. Neither requires editing YAML, but Jeedom exposes more options at once and feels more technical, while Gladys aims for a clean product-grade experience.
Are Jeedom plugins free?
Jeedom's core is free and open-source, but it uses a freemium model: many of the best plugins are paid. With Gladys, every integration is free and open-source, so the cost is simply the optional Gladys Plus subscription if you want it.
Does Gladys support Z-Wave like Jeedom?
Jeedom has particularly deep, mature Z-Wave support, which is one of its strengths. Gladys focuses on open standards like Zigbee, Matter and MQTT, which already cover thousands of devices, and Matterbridge can bridge other devices onto a Matter network.
Can I run Gladys and Jeedom at the same time?
Yes. With Zigbee2MQTT or Matter multi-admin, the same devices can appear in both at once. They can also talk over MQTT or HTTP, so you can run them side by side and migrate gradually rather than all at once.
Should I choose Gladys or Jeedom?
Choose Gladys if you want a simple, modern, stable smart home where every integration is free and built on open standards. Choose Jeedom if you want the largest plugin marketplace, strong Z-Wave support and a flexible scenario engine, and don't mind paying for some plugins.
Ready to try Gladys Assistant?
Gladys is free, open-source, and installs in a single Docker command. Privacy-first, self-hosted, no cloud required, and every integration is free.