TeslaFi vs TeslaMate (2026): Open-Source, No Command Cap

Choosing between TeslaFi and TeslaMate comes down to how much control you want versus how little setup you’re willing to do. TeslaFi is a polished, ready-to-go cloud service that’s been running since 2016. TeslaMate is the open-source data logger power users love — and MyTeslaMate is that same TeslaMate, hosted for you so you skip the server work. If you’re comparing the two, or hunting for a TeslaFi alternative with open-source dashboards and fewer API limits, here’s an honest, up-to-date side-by-side.

Quick comparison table

Pricing verified July 2026 — always check teslafi.com for current rates. TeslaFi raised prices in 2025 after Tesla introduced pay-per-use API pricing.

1. Platform type: cloud service vs. open-source logger

• TeslaMate is an open-source platform you self-host, offering deep customization but demanding technical know-how.
• MyTeslaMate is a cloud-hosted version of TeslaMate — the same features without the server administration.
• TeslaFi is a closed-source cloud service (running since 2016) with its own tracking and analytics, behind a subscription.

TeslaFi and MyTeslaMate are both turnkey. The real difference is openness: TeslaFi is a mature, self-contained product; MyTeslaMate is the open-source TeslaMate you can inspect, export from, and take with you.

2. Setup & ease of use

TeslaFi and MyTeslaMate are both sign-up-and-go: no server, no database, no maintenance. Self-hosted TeslaMate requires a Linux host, PostgreSQL, backups and updates — great if you enjoy that, a barrier if you don’t. On effort, TeslaFi and MyTeslaMate are equally easy.

3. Features & dashboards

TeslaMate (and therefore MyTeslaMate) builds its dashboards on Grafana, which is enormously flexible — you can slice charging, drives, efficiency and battery-degradation data almost any way you like. TeslaFi uses its own built-in web interface, which is mature and well-organized but fixed in what it shows. Both are browser-based; neither ships a native mobile app.

TeslaFi is genuinely well known for its granular sleep and polling controls — power users like how precisely it manages when the car is queried. That’s a real strength, and if fine-tuned polling is your priority, TeslaFi does it well.

On top of TeslaMate’s foundations, MyTeslaMate adds several things TeslaFi doesn’t offer:

• A free Tesla Fleet API proxy — send commands and use live telemetry with a raw token you can use anywhere, in your own scripts or third-party tools.
• A Home Assistant integration through that same proxy.
• An AI chat assistant to command and query your Tesla in plain language, with no LLM subscription.
• Sentry Guard break-in alerts on Telegram — you’re pinged even when Tesla’s Sentry Mode is turned off to save battery.
• Open-source foundations and full data ownership.

4. Cost & the new Tesla API limits

Here’s the most important 2026 change. In late 2024 Tesla moved its API to pay-per-use pricing, charging for every data point read and every command sent. Every logger had to react:

• TeslaFi raised its price to around $7.99/month and now caps usage at roughly 500 command requests and 25 wake requests per month on the standard subscription. For most owners that’s plenty; for automation-heavy users it’s a ceiling.
• MyTeslaMate handles the same Tesla API cost with pay-as-you-go credits — you’re not hard-capped, you simply top up if you use more. Normal logging is included in the €4.99/month (or €3.75 billed yearly) subscription, with a 14-day free trial.
• Self-hosted TeslaMate — free software, but you bring your own Tesla API token and pay Tesla’s usage directly.

So beyond the headline price, the real question is whether a fixed monthly cap fits how you use your car’s data. If you automate heavily or run integrations, MyTeslaMate’s credit model bends where TeslaFi’s cap stops.

5. Data privacy & openness

TeslaMate and MyTeslaMate are open-source at their core, and MyTeslaMate keeps your instance completely open to you rather than sealed inside a service:

• Direct TeslaMate API (TeslaMateAPI) access to your own data.
• A live MQTT feed of your car’s state for your own automations and tools.
• One-click backups you can download and restore yourself, any time.
• Hosted in the EU under GDPR.

You can query it, stream it, export it and take it with you. TeslaFi stores your data on its own US servers with more limited export. If portability and open access matter, this is the clearest dividing line.

MyTeslaMate as a TeslaFi alternative

If you searched for a TeslaFi alternative, you probably want one of these:

• The open-source Grafana dashboards instead of a fixed built-in UI.
• To avoid the 500-command / 25-wake monthly cap if you automate a lot.
• A raw Tesla Fleet API token for Home Assistant, evcc or your own code.
• Portable, downloadable data you actually own.

MyTeslaMate covers all four — it’s the hosted, open-source TeslaMate with a free Fleet API, an AI assistant and Sentry Guard on top. If you specifically love TeslaFi’s polling controls and its long-established community, that’s a fair reason to stay.

When TeslaFi is the better choice

Let’s be fair — TeslaFi is a mature product, and for some people it’s the better pick:

• You want a long-established service (running since 2016) with a large community and lots of existing tutorials.
• You prefer a single, built-in interface and don’t want to learn Grafana.
• You want TeslaFi’s very granular sleep and polling controls, which it’s well known for.
• Your usage sits comfortably under the monthly command cap, and you’re happy where you are.

If any of those describe you, TeslaFi is a perfectly good home for your data.

When MyTeslaMate is the better choice

• You want TeslaMate’s Grafana dashboards and open-source transparency, without hosting a server.
• You want full data ownership and downloadable backups.
• You need a free Tesla Fleet API proxy for automations, Home Assistant, or your own scripts — without a hard monthly cap.
• You want the AI chat assistant and Sentry Guard break-in alerts, even when Sentry Mode is off.
• You’d like lower pricing — €3.75/month billed annually.

Frequently asked questions

How much does TeslaFi cost in 2026? Around $7.99/month after the 2025 increase, with usage limited to roughly 500 commands and 25 wakes per month on the standard plan. Always confirm current rates on teslafi.com.

Is there an open-source alternative to TeslaFi? TeslaMate is the open-source Tesla data logger. MyTeslaMate is that same project, hosted for you — open-source dashboards and portable data, and a way to run TeslaMate without a server or any maintenance.

Can I move my TeslaFi data to TeslaMate? Yes. Export your data from TeslaFi and send it to us via chat during your trial; we import it into your hosted instance. Coming from self-hosted TeslaMate instead? We can restore your existing backup directly.

Does TeslaFi have a Home Assistant integration? It’s not a first-class TeslaFi feature. MyTeslaMate gives you a free Tesla Fleet API proxy and a token you can point at Home Assistant, evcc or your own code.

How to migrate from TeslaFi to MyTeslaMate

Switching keeps your history — you don’t start from zero:

1. Export your data from TeslaFi (Settings → your data export).
2. Create your MyTeslaMate account and start your 14-day trial.
3. Send us your export via chat, and we’ll import it into your hosted TeslaMate instance.

Conclusion

TeslaFi is a mature, turnkey cloud service with a loyal community and excellent polling controls. Self-hosted TeslaMate is unbeatable for tinkerers who want full control. MyTeslaMate sits in between: the open-source Grafana experience and full data ownership, with none of the server work — plus a free Fleet API without a hard monthly cap, Home Assistant, an AI assistant and Sentry Guard on top. For most Tesla owners who want power without maintenance, it’s the best-value TeslaFi alternative.

Comparing Tessie too? See our Tessie vs TeslaMate comparison.