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Comparison · DevOps

QGroundControl vs Z-Wave JS UI

A side-by-side editorial comparison of QGroundControl and Z-Wave JS UI — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

QGroundControl vs Z-Wave JS UI: at a glance

FeatureQGroundControlZ-Wave JS UI
SectorDevOpsDevOps
Velocity score0.05.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesmavlink, drone-ops, release-hardening, ardupilotsmart home, z-wave, home assistant, self-hosted
Last editorial update7d ago11h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is QGroundControl?

QGroundControl's v5.1.5 patch restores mission commands lost to a translation bug.

QGroundControl v5.1 went stable on August 20 after two release candidates, with a corrected HUD pitch direction as the headline behavior change. Patches followed: v5.1.4 with nineteen fixes on August 30, and v5.1.5 on October 1, which restores mission commands lost to broken enum translations, fixes ArduPilot takeoff when already armed, and repairs log downloads and camera controls. A v5.2 development base was tagged on September 19.

Read the full QGroundControl trajectory →

What is Z-Wave JS UI?

Z-Wave JS UI 11.26 picks up zwave-js 15.32 and finishes the move to Node 24.

Z-Wave JS UI mostly tracks the zwave-js driver. 11.26.0 bumps zwave-js to 15.32.1 and moves the TypeScript base config to Node 24, completing the move that started with the Node 24 Docker image in 11.25.0. 11.25.2 had fixed self-signed certificates Node 24 rejected.

Read the full Z-Wave JS UI trajectory →

QGroundControl vs Z-Wave JS UI: editorial side-by-side

Q0.0

QGroundControl's v5.1.5 patch restores mission commands lost to a translation bug.

◆ Current state

QGroundControl v5.1 went stable on August 20 after two release candidates, with a corrected HUD pitch direction as the headline behavior change. Patches followed: v5.1.4 with nineteen fixes on August 30, and v5.1.5 on October 1, which restores mission commands lost to broken enum translations, fixes ArduPilot takeoff when already armed, and repairs log downloads and camera controls. A v5.2 development base was tagged on September 19.

◆ Where it's heading

The v5.1 line is in repair mode with fixes on a monthly rhythm, while v5.2 work has opened in daily builds. No v5.2 features are described in the feed yet.

◆ Prediction

Another v5.1 patch is likely before any v5.2 release candidate; the v5.2 schedule is unclear.

Z5.0

Z-Wave JS UI 11.26 picks up zwave-js 15.32 and finishes the move to Node 24.

◆ Current state

Z-Wave JS UI mostly tracks the zwave-js driver. 11.26.0 bumps zwave-js to 15.32.1 and moves the TypeScript base config to Node 24, completing the move that started with the Node 24 Docker image in 11.25.0. 11.25.2 had fixed self-signed certificates Node 24 rejected.

◆ Where it's heading

Releases follow upstream zwave-js versions, with occasional UI feature releases like 11.25.0 in between. Device support changes arrive through the driver rather than the UI.

◆ Prediction

Expect further zwave-js patch bumps; a UI-level feature release is less predictable from this feed.

Alternatives to QGroundControl and Z-Wave JS UI

Other DevOps products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either QGroundControl or Z-Wave JS UI.

See all QGroundControl alternatives → · See all Z-Wave JS UI alternatives →

Recent activity from QGroundControl and Z-Wave JS UI

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 14h agoZ-Wave JS UIZ-Wave JS UI 11.26.0 moves to zwave-js 15.32.1
  2. 14d agoZ-Wave JS UI11.25.2: regenerates self-signed certs Node 24 rejected
  3. 17d agoZ-Wave JS UI11.25.1: zwave-js 15.31.2 and Node 24.22.1
  4. 19d agoZ-Wave JS UI11.25.0: config entity defaults, better filters, Node 24 image
  5. 1mo agoZ-Wave JS UIZ-Wave JS UI 11.24.3 bumps zwave-js to 15.31.1
  6. 1mo agoQGroundControlv5.1.5: lost mission commands restored, ArduPilot takeoff fix
  7. 1mo agoZ-Wave JS UIZ-Wave JS UI 11.24.2 pulls in zwave-js 15.31 and server 3.11
  8. 1mo agoQGroundControlv5.2 development base tagged
  9. 2mo agoQGroundControlv5.1.4 patch: 19 fixes, PX4 v1.17 gripper detection
  10. 2mo agoQGroundControlv5.1 goes stable; HUD pitch indicator direction corrected
  11. 2mo agoQGroundControlv5.1 RC2: GPS reassembly, airspeed, and FTP fixes
  12. 3mo agoQGroundControlv5.1 first release candidate

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between QGroundControl and Z-Wave JS UI?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Z-Wave JS UI is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is QGroundControl better than Z-Wave JS UI?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Z-Wave JS UI is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other DevOps products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to QGroundControl?

Top QGroundControl alternatives in DevOps are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "QGroundControl alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/qgroundcontrol for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Z-Wave JS UI?

Top Z-Wave JS UI alternatives in DevOps are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Z-Wave JS UI alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/zwave-js-ui for the full list with editorial commentary on each.