Both let you run a Zigbee network from your own coordinator instead of vendor hubs. They are alternatives: a coordinator is used by one of them at a time.
| ZHA | Zigbee2MQTT | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Home Assistant integration | standalone bridge Zigbee → MQTT |
| Extra infrastructure | none beyond Home Assistant | MQTT broker (e.g. Mosquitto) |
| Works without Home Assistant | no | yes: anything that speaks MQTT (Node-RED, scripts, other platforms) |
| Home Assistant integration | native | via MQTT discovery |
| Non-standard devices | ZHA Device Handlers ("quirks"), Python | converters in zigbee-herdsman-converters; external converters (JavaScript) for your own |
| Setup effort | lowest | one more service plus broker |
How to choose
- Home Assistant only, want minimal moving parts → ZHA.
- MQTT already in use, several consumers, or no Home Assistant → Zigbee2MQTT.
- A specific device matters → check it in both device lists before buying or deciding. Support for new, non-standard devices (many Tuya devices) differs between the two and changes with each release.
Switching later
Moving from one to the other can mean re-pairing devices; check the current migration notes of both projects first. Decide early, before you have dozens of devices.
Both stacks depend on the same basics: a good coordinator, a USB extension cable away from interference, a sensible channel and enough routers.