Calaos
Calaos is a free home automation system connecting hardware with interfaces for controlling a home.
What Calaos is
Calaos is a free home automation system connecting hardware with interfaces for controlling a home. It can automate connected items by time, ambience, or mood, and share music across rooms. Interfaces include Calaos Home touchscreens, Android and iOS apps, and a web app reached through the server’s IP address. The system supports local control, Zigbee, cameras, and energy monitoring. Listed integrations include Wago PLC, KNX, MQTT, zigbee2mqtt, OLA for DMX, 1-Wire, Web API devices, receivers, cameras, Squeezebox, GPIO, Enphase, and Philips Hue through MQTT. Calaos OS is a ready-to-use system for a dedicated computer, built on Debian with application components in separate Podman containers. It records system state before installations for rollback and keeps Calaos and service settings in one folder for backup. Live mode boots from USB without installing or changing the disk. A 64-bit computer, USB stick, and network connection are required. Not every input/output type appears in every interface. The codebase was released under GPL after the original company closed in 2013.
Good
- Free and self-hosted
- Local control with Zigbee support
- Android, iOS, touchscreen, and web interfaces
- Broad hardware integration list
- Rollback and single-folder backups
Watch out
- Requires a permanently powered computer
- Needs a 64-bit PC, USB stick, and network
- Not every input/output appears in every interface
- Hardware compatibility is not guaranteed
Who it suits
Calaos suits people building self-hosted, locally controlled home automation with compatible hardware. It is also relevant to users wanting mobile, touchscreen, and web interfaces plus rollback and backup options.
Verdict
Calaos offers a broad, open-source home automation stack with local control, many integrations, and multiple interfaces. Its dedicated-computer requirements and interface limitations should be considered before deployment.
The facts
Each one read from Calaos's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Automation
- Calaos can automate connected items by time, ambience, or mood.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Camera integration
- Yeschecked 24 Sep 2026
- Data backup
- Calaos OS stores Calaos and service settings in one folder, which its documentation says makes backups simple.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Energy monitoring
- Yeschecked 24 Sep 2026
- Hardware caveat
- The maker says donated hardware may help add support but does not guarantee that the hardware will work.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Hardware requirement
- Calaos OS installs on a 64-bit PC, and its documentation recommends a permanently powered computer connected to the network by cable.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Installer
- Calaos Installer is a configuration tool, and its installer is documented as compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The current hardware list includes Wago PLC, KNX, MQTT, Zigbee via zigbee2mqtt, DMX via OLA, 1-Wire, Web API devices, receivers, cameras, Squeezebox, GPIO, Enphase, and Philips Hue via MQTT.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Interface limitation
- Not all types of input/output are displayed or controllable in every Calaos user interface.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Interfaces
- Its interfaces include Calaos Home for touchscreens, mobile apps for Android and iOS, and a web app reached through the server’s IP address.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Local control
- Yeschecked 24 Sep 2026
- Music
- Calaos lets users share music across the house and play it in different rooms.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Open source
- The maker says the codebase was released under the GPL after the original company closed in 2013.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Project history
- The Calaos site says the original French company closed in 2013 and its codebase was released as GPL, after which a community continued development.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Calaos is a home automation system that connects hardware to user interfaces for controlling a home.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Recovery
- Calaos OS records system state before software installations so users can roll back if an update goes wrong.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- Calaos OS requires a computer that stays powered on, a USB stick, and a network connection; a touchscreen is optional.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Security
- Calaos Remote UI panels communicate with the server using HMAC-SHA256 authentication.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Self-hosted
- Calaos OS is a preconfigured operating system installed on a dedicated computer that runs the Calaos server.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Software
- Its software stack includes a server, touchscreen interface, HTML5 web app, configuration tool, and iOS and Android apps.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maker points users to its community wiki, forum, Discord server, and team email for help.checked 8 Oct 2026
- System architecture
- Calaos OS is built on Debian, and its application components run in separate Podman containers.checked 8 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 24 Sep 2026
Where it runs
- Self-hosted OS
- Calaos OS is a ready-to-use operating system installed on a dedicated home automation computer and includes the Calaos server and additional services.checked 8 Oct 2026
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