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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11The best ESPHome projects solve a repeated household problem: keeping lights on while someone is present, showing when ventilation is needed, measuring energy use, displaying useful information, adding local voice control, or controlling appliances that otherwise lack smart-home integration.
ESPHome turns supported microcontrollers into customizable devices configured mainly with YAML. They communicate with Home Assistant through a persistent native API connection, can be updated over the air, and can often operate locally without a vendor cloud or recurring subscription. See the Home Assistant ESPHome integration and official ESPHome documentation.
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These projects are especially useful during a renovation or new-build project, when you can plan power, Ethernet, mounting, ventilation, and access for future maintenance. Test every node over USB before installing it permanently.
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Quick comparison
| Project | Best for | Difficulty | Typical power | Main caution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presence sensor | Automatic lighting and room occupancy | Beginner to intermediate | USB or mains | False positives and missed presence |
| Air-quality monitor | Ventilation and comfort | Beginner to intermediate | USB or mains | Different sensors measure different pollutants |
| Energy monitor | Finding appliance and circuit consumption | Beginner to advanced | USB or mains | Mains electrical safety |
| Smart dashboard | Glanceable information and controls | Intermediate | USB or mains | Board-specific display compatibility |
| Voice satellite | Local commands and announcements | Intermediate | USB or mains | Audio quality and processing mode |
| IR controller | Older TVs, fans, projectors, and air conditioners | Beginner to intermediate | USB or mains | Line of sight and limited feedback |
ESPHome supports more than ESP32 boards, including ESP8266, RP2040, BK72xx, RTL87xx, and nRF52 platforms. However, an original ESP32 remains a dependable general-purpose choice, while an ESP32-S3 is often preferable for displays, USB, memory, or audio. Check the exact board in the ESPHome FAQ and documentation before buying.
#1 Best Overall
- 2.4GHz Dual Mode WiFi + Bluetooth Development Board
- Support LWIP protocol, Freertos
- SupportThree Modes: AP, STA, and AP+STA
- Ultra-Low power consumption, Compatible with Arduino IDE
- ESP32 is a safe, reliable, and scalable to a variety of applications
Set up the common ESPHome workflow first
- Have Home Assistant running and install the ESPHome add-on, dashboard, or command-line tools.
- Create a new device configuration and select the exact board variant.
- Store Wi-Fi credentials in secrets rather than hard-coding them.
- Compile and flash the first firmware over USB.
- Adopt the device in Home Assistant and test every entity.
- Only then enable OTA updates and mount the device permanently.
- Record the board model, wiring, GPIO assignments, firmware version, and USB recovery method.
The first USB flash matters. OTA is convenient, but a bad YAML change, failed Wi-Fi connection, power problem, or boot configuration can leave you needing physical access to recover the node. ESPHome’s official guides cover installation, board selection, physical connections, and updates.
1. Room presence sensor
Best first automation project. A basic motion sensor can turn lights off while someone is sitting still. A presence sensor is designed to keep lights, fans, media, or climate automations active while a person remains in the room.
Parts
- ESP32 development board
- PIR sensor for inexpensive movement detection, or mmWave radar for stationary-person detection
- Optional illuminance, temperature, or status sensor
- USB power supply, enclosure, and suitable mounting hardware
PIR is cheaper and simpler, making it the better first build. mmWave is more useful in offices, bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms where a person may remain still. ESPHome documents modules including DFRobot, Seeed Studio, and LD2410-family radar devices; the Made for ESPHome directory also lists ready-made products such as Apollo’s MSR-1 and MSR-2.
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Build and automate it
- Flash the ESP32 and connect the sensor using the manufacturer’s voltage, GPIO, or serial wiring instructions.
- Add the component for the exact PIR or radar model.
- Expose motion or occupancy to Home Assistant.
- Turn lights on when presence is detected, optionally only below a chosen lux level.
- Turn them off after presence has been clear for a delay.
- Tune the detection zone, sensitivity, and clear delay in the actual room.
Radar can detect through some materials and may react to fans, curtains, pets, or other moving objects. A sensor aimed at a doorway can work better for entry and exit logic than one aimed across the entire room. Occupancy detection is probabilistic, not a security system, and every room should retain a manual control override.
Illustrative Home Assistant automation
alias: Turn on office light when occupied
trigger:
- platform: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.office_presence
to: "on"
condition:
- condition: numeric_state
entity_id: sensor.office_illuminance
below: 150
action:
- service: light.turn_on
target:
entity_id: light.office
mode: restartKeep multi-device logic in Home Assistant rather than hard-coding it into the ESPHome node. Change entity names and thresholds for your installation.
Rank #2
- Dual-Core Performance Up to 240 MHz: Run sensor processing, wireless communication, automation logic and connected-device tasks on a 32-bit dual-core ESP32 platform designed for responsive embedded and IoT projects
- Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2: Connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks or use Bluetooth Classic and BLE for wireless sensors, smart devices, remote controls, home automation and other connected projects
- Flexible Power-Saving Modes: ESP32 power-management features support dynamic clock scaling and low-power operating modes, helping developers reduce energy use in compatible sensing, monitoring and connected-device applications, suitable for battery-powered Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
- USB-C Programming with CP2102: Connect through USB-C for power, sketch uploads and serial monitoring, while GPIO, UART, SPI and I2C interfaces support sensors, displays, motor drivers and other modules (USB-C cable not included)
- Over-the-Air Update Support: Configure OTA functionality through a compatible ESP-32 software framework to update deployed firmware over Wi-Fi without reconnecting the board by USB for every revision
2. Indoor air-quality monitor
Best for comfort and ventilation. A local monitor can reveal when cooking, cleaning, humidity, or poor ventilation is affecting a room. It can also trigger a fan or send an alert based on measurements rather than guesswork.
Choose the measurement first
- CO₂: useful for judging ventilation and occupancy.
- PM1, PM2.5, PM4, and PM10: useful for particles from cooking, smoke, and dust.
- VOC or NOx index: useful as an indicator of changing gas conditions, but not equivalent to a direct pollutant concentration.
- Temperature and humidity: inexpensive and useful for comfort and condensation control.
ESPHome’s air-quality components include SCD4x, SEN5x, SEN6x, SGP4x, PMSA003I, particulate modules, and radon devices. Consult the component index for the exact sensor.
Three practical hardware levels
- Beginner: ESP32 with a temperature and humidity sensor.
- Ventilation monitor: ESP32 with a genuine CO₂ sensor such as an SCD4x-family device.
- Broader monitor: ESP32 with a SEN5x or SEN6x-family particulate and gas sensor.
Ready-made options such as Apollo’s AIR-1 and AirGradient products are listed in the ESPHome device directory. A packaged M5Stack PM2.5 Air Quality Kit was listed at $65 on its official store when checked in August 2026; prices and availability can change.
Placement and limitations
Mount the device where air circulates naturally, away from windows, HVAC outlets, humidifiers, and cooking steam unless you specifically want to measure those events. Particulate sensors need airflow and can be affected by dust, steam, and grease. Sensors also have warm-up and calibration behavior.
Do not call a generic gas sensor a CO₂ sensor, and do not treat a hobbyist monitor as a replacement for certified smoke, fire, radon, or carbon-monoxide equipment. Use readings as household indicators rather than laboratory or medical measurements. Useful automations include high CO₂ triggering a ventilation reminder, high humidity running a bathroom fan, and elevated PM2.5 suppressing an outdoor-air intake.
Rank #3
- Powerful ESP-32 Board: Unlock the world of Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced electronics with the heart of this kit: the ESP-32 board. It features a powerful dual-core processor, integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2, making it perfect for building connected, smart devices that communicate with your phone or the cloud. It's fully compatible with the Arduino IDE for easy programming.
- Super Starter Kit: This kit contains over 35 different modules and electronic components, including sensors, displays, motors, and input devices. From LEDs and buttons to an OLED screen, servo motor, and keypad, you have everything needed to explore a vast range of projects in one box.
- Step by Step Online Tutorial: Jump right in with our detailed, beginner-friendly tutorial. Access 30+ projects with complete code, clear circuit diagrams, and step-by-step instructions. Learn the fundamentals of electronics, coding, and how to utilize the ESP-32's unique capabilities without any prior experience.
- Hands-on Learning for All Skill Levels: Perfect for students, makers, engineers, and hobbyists. Start with basic circuits and coding, then progress to intermediate and advanced IoT applications. Build practical projects like weather stations, smart home controllers, remote-controlled devices, and interactive gadgets. The skills you learn are the foundation for real-world innovation.
- Quality & Great Support: Elegoo is committed to quality. We provide a clear, detailed tutorial guide, refined code, and a well-organized component kit. All modules are carefully selected for reliability and ease of use. Our dedicated technical support team and active online community are ready to help you succeed in your learning journey.
3. Energy monitor
Best for understanding consumption, but the highest-safety project. An ESPHome energy node can monitor an appliance, circuit, solar inverter, battery, or whole home and feed data into Home Assistant’s Energy dashboard.
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Choose the scope
- Plug level: the safest and most approachable starting point for one appliance.
- Clamp level: useful for a circuit or selected appliance, provided the equipment is correctly installed and calibrated.
- Panel or whole-home level: powerful, but permanently wired or breaker-panel work should be performed by a qualified electrician.
- Solar or battery: use a supported inverter or battery protocol where available.
ESPHome documents energy and solar integrations, and the device directory lists products such as CircuitSetup’s Expandable-6 Channel ESP32 Energy Meter. Correct voltage, current, power, power-factor, units, device classes, state classes, and monotonically increasing energy totals matter if the readings are to work properly in Home Assistant.
Current transformers can reduce exposure to mains conductors, but they do not automatically make installation safe. Clamp orientation, phase configuration, and calibration affect accuracy. Never open a breaker panel or alter permanently wired equipment unless you are qualified and local rules permit it. Monitoring consumption does not itself save energy; savings come from the actions and automations that follow.
4. Wall or desk smart-home dashboard
Best visible project. A small local screen can show room temperature, air quality, doors, lights, weather, energy use, and alerts without requiring a phone.
Select the display for the job
- OLED: simple status information in a compact form.
- LCD or TFT: richer graphics and color.
- Touchscreen: controls as well as information.
- E-paper: low-power, mostly static information.
- ESP32-S3 display board: more suitable for demanding graphics, USB, or audio features.
ESPHome supports display drivers, fonts, graphs, QR codes, touchscreens, graphical display menus, and LVGL. Board compatibility is not universal: controller, touch wiring, pin assignments, rotation, color order, and backlight control can vary even between boards using the same ESP32 family. Verify the exact model in the ESPHome projects and component documentation.
Rank #4
- 2.4GHz Dual Mode WiFi + Bluetooth Development Board
- Support LWIP protocol, Freertos;ESP32 is a safe, reliable, and scalable to a variety of applications
- SupportThree Modes: AP, STA, and AP+STA
- Ultra-Low power consumption, Compatible with Arduino IDE
- 1PCS 30Pin ESP32 Development Board 2.4GHz WiFi Dual Cores Microcontroller Integrated with Antenna RF Low Noise Amplifiers Filters
Start with one or two pages of glanceable information. Add brightness schedules and screen timeout, then add touch controls after the read-only display is stable. E-paper is poor for rapid animation, while continuously redrawn screens can consume more power and flicker. Keep physical switches for essential controls where practical, and protect wall-mounted electronics from condensation and direct sunlight.
5. Local voice satellite or announcement node
Best for hands-free convenience. A voice node can send commands to Home Assistant, answer local queries, or announce events such as a door opening or a washing machine finishing.
Hardware choices
- M5Stack Atom Echo: a compact, low-cost development option; the official store listed it at $13.50 when checked in August 2026.
- ESP32-S3-BOX-3: a more capable reference platform.
- Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition: a polished device with microphones, speaker, mute control, and ESP32-S3 hardware. Its listed recommended MSRP is $69 USD or €59, excluding applicable taxes.
- ESPHome Starter Kit: useful for experimentation, but it is not a finished room voice appliance.
ESPHome’s voice components cover microphones, speakers, media players, voice assistants, and related wake-word functions. Confirm the exact board revision: the listed ready-made project path specifically supports V1.2 Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition boards produced after November 1, 2025. Older ESP32-S3-BOX and Lite variants are no longer listed as for sale on the project page.
“Local voice” can mean local microphone processing, a local Home Assistant Assist pipeline, or fully local speech-to-text and text-to-speech. Cloud processing may be easier but has different privacy, account, and availability implications. Performance depends on microphone placement, room noise, speaker volume, network reliability, and the selected pipeline. Add a physical mute switch or clear privacy indicator, and test a short command before attempting custom wake words or complex audio processing.
6. IR remote and appliance controller
Best retrofit project. An ESPHome IR node can bring local Home Assistant control to televisions, fans, projectors, audio equipment, and air conditioners that do not have a useful modern integration.
Best Value
- 2.4GHz Dual Mode WiFi + Bluetooth Development Board
- Ultra-Low power consumption, works perfectly with the Arduino IDE
- Support LWIP protocol, Freertos
- SupportThree Modes: AP, STA, and AP+STA
- ESP32 is a safe, reliable, and scalable to a variety of applications
Parts and build path
- ESP32 board
- IR LED and suitable resistor
- IR receiver for learning or decoding commands
- Transistor driver if stronger transmission is needed
- Optional temperature sensor
- Enclosure with a clear line of sight
- Confirm that the appliance uses infrared rather than RF.
- Use an IR receiver to learn or decode commands where necessary.
- Install the transmitter and test it at short range.
- Expose buttons, switches, or climate controls to Home Assistant.
- Keep a fallback physical remote available.
IR requires line of sight or a reliable reflective path. Bright sunlight and poor receiver placement can interfere with learning. The controller usually cannot confirm that the appliance received or executed a command.
Air conditioners deserve special attention: many transmit the complete desired state in every packet. A temperature-up command that works on a television may not work as an independent command on an air conditioner. Test the exact model and send full-state commands where required. An RF remote is not interchangeable with an IR transmitter.
DIY or buy a finished ESPHome device?
DIY makes sense when you already own an ESP32, want to learn electronics, need an unusual combination of sensors, or value repairability and customization. Include the real total cost: sensor, enclosure, power supply, cable, connectors, shipping, and possible failed parts.
Buy a finished device when it will be visible, needs reliable calibration, involves mains electricity, or must work without troubleshooting for other household members. The Made for ESPHome directory lists ready-made environmental and presence products, but check each manufacturer for current price, availability, regional support, and exact firmware compatibility.
Around a renovation, wired Ethernet or PoE can be worthwhile for fixed dashboards, ceiling presence sensors, and gateways. Wi-Fi is simpler for most nodes. The ESPHome FAQ identifies the original ESP32 as the best choice for wired Ethernet because it has a built-in Ethernet MAC; some other variants require an SPI Ethernet controller.
Most projects here are poor battery candidates: continuous Wi-Fi, displays, mmWave radar, microphones, and particulate sensors consume too much power for a small battery. For battery devices, prefer low-duty-cycle temperature, contact, or motion sensing and investigate deep sleep first.
Which project should you build first?
- Choose presence detection for the quickest improvement to lighting and room automations.
- Choose air quality if ventilation, humidity, cooking, or comfort is the priority.
- Choose energy monitoring for useful data, but buy a suitable plug-in device or use a qualified electrician for panel work.
- Choose a dashboard when you want information visible without opening an app.
- Choose a voice node for hands-free control, with official hardware being the more polished option.
- Choose IR control to extend the life of existing appliances without replacing them.
ESPHome is most compelling when a small, inexpensive controller is tailored to one specific problem in your home. Start with one reliable node, leave yourself a recovery path, and expand only after the hardware, wiring, measurements, and Home Assistant automations have proved dependable.
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