Lighting & LEDs

The category that justifies "buying ESP32s by the bag." For the firmware platforms that drive these see IoT Firmware Platforms; for the hub above them see Smart Home Hubs; for the chips see MCU Platforms.

Addressable LED strips (WS2812 / SK6812 / APA102)

• ★ WLED — runs on ESP32 / ESP8266; web UI, mobile apps (iOS / Android), 100+ effects, 2D / 3D matrix support, Home Assistant integration, MQTT, DDP, E1.31 (sACN), Art-Net. The unambiguous default.
  • https://github.com/wled/WLED
• WLED MoonModules / WLED-AC — community forks with extra effects / audio reactivity / unmaintained-by-upstream features. Pull the version that matches your needs.
• ESPHome esp32_rmt_led_strip / fastled — if you want LEDs as HA entities with full automations rather than a separate WLED app, ESPHome's native LED support is excellent.

Ambient TV / bias lighting / "Ambilight clone"

• ★ Hyperion-NG — captures HDMI / desktop video, computes ambient color, drives a strip behind your TV. Runs on a Pi with an HDMI capture card or directly on libreelec / Kodi.
  • https://github.com/hyperion-project/hyperion.ng
• ★ HyperHDR — fork of Hyperion focused on HDR-correct color sampling and modern HDMI capture cards; the 2026 default.
  • https://github.com/awawa-dev/HyperHDR
• WLED's "live mode" — accept E1.31 / DDP / WARLS streams from Hyperion; act as the "lights" half of an ambient setup.
• Govee Envisual / DreamView — commercial all-in-one with a camera; closed; mediocre quality but easy.

Philips Hue alternatives

• ★ Diyhue / DiyHue — open-source Hue Bridge emulator; runs on a Pi or in Docker; appears as a real Hue Bridge to apps that only know Hue (Razer Synapse, iConnectHue, native iOS Home before Matter). Talks to MQTT, Z2M, ESPHome, Tasmota, Yeelight, deCONZ on the back end.
  • https://github.com/diyhue/diyHue
• HueRGB / hue-mqtt — niche translators.
• Philips Hue itself — closed but well-supported; HA's built-in Hue integration is rock solid; Hue Bridge speaks Matter as of mid-2024.
• IKEA DIRIGERA — IKEA's Trådfri successor; Matter Bridge built in; cheaper than Hue.

Other lighting brands worth knowing

• ★ Govee — H6601 / H619x / H6066 etc.; many models speak BLE and LAN API; HA integration via the govee_lan custom component for fully cloud-free.
• Yeelight (Xiaomi) — bulbs; LAN API enabled in the Mi Home app; HA integration is reliable.
• Sengled / Innr / Ledvance / Müller-Licht — Zigbee bulbs; pair to Z2M; cheap.
• Shelly Duo / RGBW2 / Plus RGBW PM — Wi-Fi RGBW controllers; Shelly's local API + MQTT; well-supported.
• Athom RGB-CCT bulbs — pre-flashed Tasmota / ESPHome bulbs; the "I want a bulb that doesn't phone home out of the box" answer.

QuinLED — the pro driver boards

• ★ QuinLED-Dig-Uno / Dig-Quad / An-Penta — power-supply-grade ESP32 boards designed for driving long addressable strips reliably (PSU separation, level shifting, fuse blocks). Run WLED. The right buy for "I'm doing a 10-meter stair install, not a desk strip."
  • https://quinled.info
• DIG-Octa — for the over-engineered.

Stage / show / large installs

• Resolume Arena / MadMapper + Art-Net — DJ/VJ software → Art-Net → WLED. For festivals, theatre, art installs.
• xLights — Christmas-light sequencing software; supports E1.31; large hobbyist scene.
• Falcon Player (FPP) — Pi distro for show lighting; community staple.
• Madrix — commercial; high-end show control.

Practical guidance

• ★ Inject power every 1-2 m on a long strip. Voltage drops; the far end of an unfed 5 m WS2812 strip looks like the apocalypse.
• ★ Use the right gauge wire for the current. A 5 m strip at full white can pull 18-30 A. Don't run that through 22 AWG.
• Logic-level shifter (74AHCT125 or SN74HCT245) between a 3.3 V ESP32 data pin and a 5 V WS2812 strip. Skipping it works sometimes; the failure mode is intermittent and infuriating.
• A solid 5 V PSU is the difference between "magic" and "fire hazard." Mean Well RS-150-5 / RSP series for serious installs; QuinLED's site has a buyer's guide.
• For Christmas lights, use WS2811 12V "bullet" pixels — way less voltage drop over distance than 5 V WS2812.

Pick this if…

• Default smart LED strip: WLED.
• HA-native LED control with automations: ESPHome.
• Ambient TV: HyperHDR + WLED-as-output.
• Old Hue-only apps need a Hue: Diyhue.
• Pre-flashed Tasmota/ESPHome bulb: Athom.
• Large architectural install: QuinLED boards + WLED + dedicated PSU.
• Govee user, no cloud: govee_lan + HA.