diff --git a/esphome/config_validation.py b/esphome/config_validation.py
index 2de6898177..c04d43bbee 100644
--- a/esphome/config_validation.py
+++ b/esphome/config_validation.py
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ from esphome.schema_extractors import (
     schema_extractor_registry,
     schema_extractor_typed,
 )
-from esphome.util import parse_esphome_version
 from esphome.voluptuous_schema import _Schema
 from esphome.yaml_util import SensitiveStr, make_data_base
 
@@ -2612,13 +2611,30 @@ def require_framework_version(
     return validator
 
 
-def require_esphome_version(year, month, patch):
+def require_esphome_version(
+    year: Version | int, month: int | None = None, patch: int | None = None
+):
+    """Validator requiring at least the given ESPHome version.
+
+    Accepts a single ``Version`` like the sibling
+    ``require_framework_version``, or the legacy ``(year, month, patch)``
+    ints external components already pass.
+    """
+    if isinstance(year, Version):
+        required = year
+    elif month is None or patch is None:
+        raise ValueError(
+            "require_esphome_version needs a Version or (year, month, patch)"
+        )
+    else:
+        required = Version(year, month, patch)
+
     def validator(value):
-        esphome_version = parse_esphome_version()
-        if esphome_version < (year, month, patch):
-            requires_version = f"{year}.{month}.{patch}"
+        # A dev or beta build of the required version still satisfies it,
+        # matching the old tuple comparison that dropped the suffix.
+        if Version.parse(ESPHOME_VERSION) < required:
             raise Invalid(
-                f"This component requires at least ESPHome version {requires_version}"
+                f"This component requires at least ESPHome version {required}"
             )
         return value
 
diff --git a/esphome/util.py b/esphome/util.py
index ed95ea24d2..4a5986a90d 100644
--- a/esphome/util.py
+++ b/esphome/util.py
@@ -329,13 +329,6 @@ def is_dev_esphome_version():
     return "dev" in const.__version__
 
 
-def parse_esphome_version() -> tuple[int, int, int]:
-    match = re.match(r"^(\d+).(\d+).(\d+)(-dev\d*|b\d*)?$", const.__version__)
-    if match is None:
-        raise ValueError(f"Failed to parse ESPHome version '{const.__version__}'")
-    return int(match.group(1)), int(match.group(2)), int(match.group(3))
-
-
 # Custom OrderedDict with nicer repr method for debugging
 class OrderedDict(collections.OrderedDict):
     def __repr__(self):
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_config_validation.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_config_validation.py
index 79bfc303b7..4a4e37e5c4 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/test_config_validation.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_config_validation.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import json
 import logging
 from pathlib import Path
 import string
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 from hypothesis import example, given, settings
 from hypothesis.strategies import builds, integers, ip_addresses, one_of, text
@@ -2926,11 +2927,46 @@ def test_require_esphome_version_ok() -> None:
     assert cv.require_esphome_version(1, 0, 0)("test") == "test"
 
 
+def test_require_esphome_version_accepts_version_object() -> None:
+    """The Version form matches require_framework_version's style."""
+    assert cv.require_esphome_version(cv.Version(1, 0, 0))("test") == "test"
+    with pytest.raises(Invalid, match="at least ESPHome version 9999.0.0"):
+        cv.require_esphome_version(cv.Version(9999, 0, 0))("test")
+
+
+def test_require_esphome_version_partial_ints_fail_at_call_site() -> None:
+    """Missing ints raise immediately instead of a TypeError inside the validator."""
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="needs a Version or"):
+        cv.require_esphome_version(2026, 8)
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="needs a Version or"):
+        cv.require_esphome_version(2026)
+
+
 def test_require_esphome_version_too_old() -> None:
     with pytest.raises(Invalid, match="at least ESPHome version 9999.0.0"):
         cv.require_esphome_version(9999, 0, 0)("test")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("current", ["2026.8.0", "2026.8.0b1", "2026.8.0-dev20260801"])
+def test_require_esphome_version_prerelease_of_required_passes(current: str) -> None:
+    """A dev or beta build of the required version satisfies it.
+
+    Pins the behavior of the old tuple comparison that dropped the
+    suffix, now expressed through Version ordering where the extra field
+    only breaks ties upward.
+    """
+    with patch.object(cv, "ESPHOME_VERSION", current):
+        assert cv.require_esphome_version(2026, 8, 0)("test") == "test"
+
+
+def test_require_esphome_version_older_prerelease_fails() -> None:
+    with (
+        patch.object(cv, "ESPHOME_VERSION", "2026.7.0-dev20260701"),
+        pytest.raises(Invalid, match="at least ESPHome version 2026.8.0"),
+    ):
+        cv.require_esphome_version(2026, 8, 0)("test")
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # suppress_invalid / validate_source_shorthand / rename_key
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------