Learn how WebThings Gateway, the open-source IoT hub originally built by Mozilla, lets you self-host a private smart home gateway, plus its features and…
WebThings Gateway is open-source software for running your own private smart home or IoT hub, most commonly installed on a Raspberry Pi, that started life inside Mozilla in 2017 as Project Things.
The project was built around the idea of applying Mozilla's privacy-focused, open-web philosophy to the Internet of Things, implementing the Web of Things standard so devices from different manufacturers can be controlled through one consistent interface.
In December 2020, Mozilla spun the project out as an independent, community-led open-source effort, with UK-based Krellian, founded by former Mozilla and Google engineer Ben Francis, sponsoring the website and cloud infrastructure that keeps gateways updated and reachable remotely.
The gateway provides a local dashboard for monitoring sensors, controlling lights, switches, and other connected devices, and defining automation rules, all running on hardware you control.
A large community add-on ecosystem, with more than a hundred add-ons at the project's peak, bridges protocols such as Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Philips Hue into the standardized Web of Things interface.
WebThings Gateway 2.0, released in December 2025, added a groups feature that lets users drag and drop devices into organizational groups for easier management.
WebThings Gateway is completely free and open source; there is no subscription fee to download, install, or run the software.
Users do need their own hardware, typically a Raspberry Pi, to host the gateway, which represents the main real-world cost of adoption.
An optional secure remote access service, sponsored by Krellian, allows access to a gateway from outside the local network without requiring complex router configuration.
Yes, it is completely free and open source, with the only real cost being the hardware you run it on.
It is most commonly installed on a Raspberry Pi, though it can run on other compatible hardware as well.
Yes, it became an independent, community-led open-source project in December 2020, with Krellian sponsoring the website and cloud infrastructure, and it received a 2.0 release in December 2025.
It is a W3C standard that WebThings Gateway implements so devices from different manufacturers can be controlled through one consistent web-based interface.
No, the core gateway runs locally without a mandatory cloud account; a cloud-based remote access feature is optional.
Support depends on installed add-ons, which bridge protocols such as Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Philips Hue into the gateway.
Both are open-source, self-hosted smart home platforms; WebThings Gateway is built specifically around the W3C Web of Things standard and originated at Mozilla, while Home Assistant has a broader independent integration ecosystem.
Version 2.0, released in December 2025, added a groups feature that lets users organize devices by dragging and dropping them into groups.