OpenHarmony vs HarmonyOS: what is the difference?
Short answer: OpenHarmony is the open-source base project governed by the OpenAtom Foundation. HarmonyOS is Huawei’s commercial operating system built on top of OpenHarmony with additional proprietary components. The relationship is often compared to AOSP and Android.
What is the difference between OpenHarmony and HarmonyOS?
| OpenHarmony | HarmonyOS | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner / governance | OpenAtom Foundation (open-source project) | Huawei (commercial product) |
| Source code | Public; anyone can obtain it | Not fully published |
| License | Mainly Apache 2.0; other components keep their own licenses | Proprietary |
| Kernel | Multi-kernel: LiteOS, Linux, UniProton | HarmonyOS 5 onward uses Huawei’s HongMeng kernel |
| Devices | From microcontrollers to phones, from many vendors | Mainly Huawei devices |
| App store and cloud services | None bundled | Huawei AppGallery and HMS |
| Android apps | Not supported | HarmonyOS 2–4.x: yes. HarmonyOS 5+: no |
How did HarmonyOS change with version 5 (NEXT)?
Earlier HarmonyOS versions (2 to 4.x) on phones combined AOSP with OpenHarmony, so they could run Android apps. HarmonyOS NEXT, launched as HarmonyOS 5 in late 2024, removed the AOSP layer and the Android compatibility. It runs only native apps, uses the HongMeng microkernel and is based on OpenHarmony 5.0 (API level 12).
HarmonyOS 6 continues this approach and is based on OpenHarmony 6.0.
Which one should you develop for?
- HarmonyOS apps: If you want to reach Huawei phones and tablets through AppGallery, target HarmonyOS.
- OpenHarmony devices: If you work on development boards, industrial or embedded devices, or build your own distribution, target OpenHarmony.
Both share ArkTS, ArkUI and DevEco Studio. In a DevEco Studio project the target is selected in the build profile, where runtimeOS can be set to OpenHarmony. Do not assume that an app built for HarmonyOS will run on an OpenHarmony device, because APIs and services differ.
What do HarmonyOS and OpenHarmony have in common?
- The ArkTS language and the declarative ArkUI framework.
- The same app model concepts (Stage model, HAP packages).
- The DevEco Studio toolchain and the hdc debugging tool.
Next steps
Frequently asked questions
Is HarmonyOS open source?
Not fully. The OpenHarmony base is open source, but HarmonyOS is Huawei's commercial product and large parts of it are proprietary and not published.
Can HarmonyOS 5 run Android apps?
No. HarmonyOS 5 (originally called HarmonyOS NEXT) removed the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) layer and supports only native HarmonyOS apps. HarmonyOS 2 to 4.x could run Android apps.
Which OpenHarmony version is HarmonyOS 5 based on?
HarmonyOS 5 is based on OpenHarmony 5.0 (API level 12). HarmonyOS 6 is based on OpenHarmony 6.0.
Can I develop for both with the same tools?
Yes. Both use ArkTS, ArkUI and DevEco Studio, but a HarmonyOS app is not guaranteed to run on an OpenHarmony device, and Huawei services such as AppGallery are only part of HarmonyOS.