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ThingsBoard

thingsboard.io

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Spec score 8.8 #1 of 9 in IoT Edge Platforms

What it is

ThingsBoard is an IoT platform for managing devices and collecting, processing, and visualizing their data. Its real-time IoT and SCADA dashboards include more than 300 built-in widgets and support custom widgets. Native connectivity covers MQTT, CoAP, HTTP, LwM2M, and SNMP; an IoT Gateway adds protocols such as Modbus, BACnet, CAN bus, BLE, and OPC-UA. Rule Engine nodes support data processing and platform customization, while integrations connect external services and gateways including AWS IoT, Azure IoT Hub, Google Cloud Pub/Sub, LoRaWAN servers, MQTT brokers, and OPC-UA servers. Deployment options include cloud, dedicated Private Cloud, and on-premises installations, including fully offline self-managed setups. Security choices include two-factor authentication, OAuth 2.0/SSO, JWT tokens, API keys, and HTTPS/TLS configuration. ThingsBoard Cloud is hosted on infrastructure stated to comply with SOC II and ISO 27001, with North America and EU data regions. Cloud plans have device and data-point limits. Listed cloud plans include free and paid options, with Prototype at $39 a month.

Spec sheet

What it does
ThingsBoard is an IoT platform for device management, data collection, processing and visualization.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Purpose
ThingsBoard is an IoT platform for device management, data collection, processing, and visualization.Read 29 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Intended users
The maker describes the platform as covering IoT projects from initial device connectivity through visualization, server-side processing, and scaling.Read 29 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Deployment
ThingsBoard offers cloud, dedicated Private Cloud, and on-premises deployments, including fully offline self-managed installations.Read 29 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
API
REST, WebSocket, Entity Data Query, Alarm Query and MCP server APIs are documented, with an interactive Swagger interface and API-key authentication.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Integrations
Documented integrations include AWS IoT, Azure IoT Hub, Google Pub/Sub, MQTT brokers, Kafka, OPC-UA and LoRaWAN network servers.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Security
Security options include two-factor authentication, OAuth 2.0/SSO, JWT tokens, API keys, and HTTPS/TLS configuration.Read 29 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Support
Paid subscriptions provide access to the ThingsBoard Support Portal, and Startup and Business plans include priority support.Read 29 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Founded
2016Read 28 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
App complaint
An Apple App Store reviewer complains that iPhone options are too small or hidden and real-time/history settings cannot be adjusted.Read 14 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Cloud compliance
ThingsBoard states its cloud infrastructure uses ISO 27001 and SOC II compliant facilities, with North American and EU data regions.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Company headquarters
The company lists 110 Duane Street, Suite 1C, New York, NY 10007 as its headquarters.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Company history
ThingsBoard says it began in 2016 with two co-founders and established ThingsBoard Inc. in 2018.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Compliance and residency
The maker states ThingsBoard Cloud is hosted on infrastructure compliant with SOC II and ISO 27001, and offers North America or EU data regions.Read 29 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Crunchbase legal name
Crunchbase identifies the maker as ThingsBoard, Inc., a private for-profit company founded by Andrew Shvayka.Read 14 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
Dashboards
Dashboards provide responsive pages with charts, tables, maps, controls, aliases, time windows, actions, sharing and embedding.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Device connectivity
The platform supports MQTT, Modbus, LoRaWAN, HTTP, OCPP, OPC-UA, CoAP, Sigfox, BACnet and S7 connectivity.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Documentation
Documentation covers connectivity guides, APIs and SDKs, dashboards, widgets, rule nodes, integrations, OTA, alarms, mobile and custom extensions.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Edge operation
ThingsBoard Edge runs platform functions locally, stores telemetry and continues dashboards and alarms during connectivity loss before synchronizing.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Free trial
ThingsBoard Cloud offers a 30-day free trial, and the maker says no credit card is required to start.Read 29 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Gateway connectors
The IoT Gateway supplies 15 built-in connectors including MQTT, Modbus, OPC-UA, BACnet, Siemens S7, REST, BLE, CAN, FTP, KNX, ODBC, OCPP, SNMP, Socket and XMPP.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Licence
Version 4.4 and later use Business Source License 1.1 and are source-available rather than OSI open source; releases before 4.4 remain Apache 2.0.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Limit: CoAP
The CoAP integration documentation states that downlink support is currently unavailable.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Limit: customization
G2 reviewers report difficult widget creation, limited scripting options, non-customizable Professional reporting and missing input widgets.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: developer automation
A G2 reviewer reports no programmatic rule-chain creation or rule-chain unit testing.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: learning curve
G2 reviewers say the platform’s flexibility creates a steep learning curve for less technical users.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: MicroPython
A TrustRadius review identifies the absence of a MicroPython library for downlink data as a limitation.Read 14 Oct 2026 · tr-web.stage.trustradius.com
Limit: queue durability
The in-memory rule-engine queue is intended for single-node use and loses messages when the server restarts; Kafka is required for clustered durability.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
LinkedIn company facts
LinkedIn describes ThingsBoard as privately held, founded in 2016, headquartered in New York and employing 51–200 people.Read 14 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Mobile
ThingsBoard provides mobile resources and an application supporting dashboards, alarms, devices and widget actions.Read 14 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Plan limits
ThingsBoard Cloud plans have device and data-point limits, and users can buy additional entity and API-call packs subject to plan rules.Read 29 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Praise: delivery
Clutch reviewers describe the provider as communicative, professional and transparent, with tailored IoT solutions and real-time alerts.Read 14 Oct 2026 · clutch.co
Praise: developer experience
TrustRadius reviewers praise the API, user management, interface, upgrade process and documentation.Read 14 Oct 2026 · tr-web.stage.trustradius.com
Praise: flexibility
G2 reviewers repeatedly praise the broad protocol and sensor support, flexible dashboards and rule chains, and the free community edition.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Protocols
Native connectivity includes MQTT, CoAP, HTTP, LwM2M, and SNMP, with an IoT Gateway for protocols including Modbus, BACnet, CAN bus, BLE, and OPC-UA.Read 29 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Rating on Apple App Store
3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratingsRead 14 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Rating on Clutch
4.8 out of 5 from 3 reviewsRead 14 Oct 2026 · clutch.co
Rating on G2
4.5 out of 5 from 8 reviewsRead 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on GetApp
0 reviews / no rating shownRead 14 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
Rating on Microsoft Marketplace
4.1 out of 5 from 7 ratingsRead 14 Oct 2026 · marketplace.microsoft.com
Rating on Software Advice
No reviews yetRead 14 Oct 2026 · softwareadvice.com
Rating on TrustRadius
10 out of 10 from 2 reviewsRead 14 Oct 2026 · tr-web.stage.trustradius.com
Release news
The October 13, 2026 ThingsBoard 4.4 release introduced a redesigned UI, Java 25, Remote Agents, customer reporting and faster integrations.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Rule engine
A visual rule engine routes telemetry, attributes, lifecycle and RPC messages through processing nodes and relations.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
SDKs
Official SDKs include Python, MicroPython, CircuitPython, Arduino, Python Gateway, Java and Python REST clients, and a Dart client.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Security controls
Security features include TLS or DTLS device protocols, token/basic/X.509 authentication, mutual TLS, two-factor authentication, OAuth2/SSO, audit logs and encrypted secrets.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Self-hosting
On-premises deployments run on customer infrastructure, cloud accounts or fully offline environments, with Docker, Ubuntu, Windows, macOS, Raspberry Pi and cluster options.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
System requirements
The CE Ubuntu guide specifies 1 CPU/4 GB RAM/20 GB for development, 2 CPU/8 GB/50 GB SSD for small production, and 4+ CPU/16+ GB/100+ GB for recommended production.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Widgets
The widget library includes time-series, latest-value, control, alarm and static HTML widgets, and supports custom HTML/CSS/JavaScript widgets.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io

Plans and prices

Free Free billed monthly 5 devices · 5 assets · 1M data points/mo Read 22 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Prototype $49 a month billed monthly 50 devices · 50 assets · 10M data points/mo Read 22 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Pilot $149 a month billed monthly 100 devices · 100 assets · 100M data points/mo Read 22 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Startup $399 a month billed monthly 500 devices · 500 assets · 500M data points/mo Read 22 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Business $749 a month billed monthly 1,000 devices · 1,000 assets · 1B data points/mo Read 22 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Free (On-premises) Free $0 /month 100 devices · 100 assets · 1 production instance Read 29 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Free (ThingsBoard Cloud) Free $0 /month 5 devices · 5 assets · 1M data points/mo Read 29 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Free (ThingsBoard Cloud) Free monthly 5 devices · 5 assets · 1M data points/month · community support Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Prototype (ThingsBoard Cloud) $39 a month $39 /month 50 devices · 50 assets · 10M data points/mo Read 29 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io
Prototype (ThingsBoard Cloud) $49 a month monthly 50 devices · 50 assets · 10M data points/month Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Pilot (on-premises) $99 a month monthly 100 devices · 100 assets · 1 production instance Read 14 Oct 2026 · thingsboard.io
Pilot (On-premises) $99 a month $99 /month 100 devices · 100 assets · 1 production instance Read 29 Sep 2026 · thingsboard.io

Every ThingsBoard plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Dashboards include 300+ built-in widgets
  • Gateway supports protocols including Modbus and BACnet
  • Offers cloud, private cloud, and on-premises deployments
  • Security options include two-factor authentication and OAuth 2.0/SSO

Limits

  • Cloud plans have device and data-point limits
  • The free cloud plan lists five devices
  • Prototype Cloud costs $39 a month

Who it suits

ThingsBoard suits teams building IoT projects that need device connectivity, server-side processing, dashboards, and options to scale or self-host. Its cloud, private cloud, on-premises, and offline deployment choices support different operating environments.

ThingsBoard in depth

Read the full write-up

Overview

ThingsBoard is an IoT platform that brings device management, data collection, processing and visualization together. It suits teams building connected products or industrial monitoring systems that need protocol breadth or deployment control. Its strongest case is the end-to-end scope; cloud buyers should match their device fleet and data volume to the plan ceilings.

Key features

Connectivity spans MQTT, CoAP, HTTP, LwM2M and SNMP, with the IoT Gateway extending support to Modbus, BACnet, CAN bus, BLE and OPC-UA. That range is useful when a project has mixed or industrial equipment; a small, uniform fleet may not need such breadth. Integrations also connect AWS IoT, Azure IoT Hub, Google Cloud Pub/Sub, LoRaWAN servers, MQTT brokers and OPC-UA servers.

For operations teams, real-time IoT and SCADA dashboards combine more than 300 built-in widgets with custom widgets. Rule Engine nodes provide building blocks for data processing and platform customization, while stream processing is real-time. Anomaly detection and machine-learning tools round out the capabilities, though the project still needs to fit the chosen plan’s quotas.

Deployment is unusually flexible: choose ThingsBoard Cloud, dedicated Private Cloud or on-premises, including fully offline self-managed installations. Security options include two-factor authentication, OAuth 2.0/SSO, JWT tokens, API keys and HTTPS/TLS configuration. ThingsBoard Cloud runs on infrastructure the maker says is SOC II- and ISO 27001-compliant, with North America and EU data regions.

Pricing

ThingsBoard is freemium, with a free trial and both hosted and self-managed routes. Cloud plans are bounded by device, asset and monthly data-point quotas; additional entity and API-call packs can be purchased subject to plan rules.

PlanPriceIncluded limitsFree (ThingsBoard Cloud)free5 devices, 5 assets, 1M data points/moPrototype (ThingsBoard Cloud)$39 a month50 devices, 50 assets, 10M data points/moPilot (ThingsBoard Cloud)$99 a month100 devices, 100 assets, 100M data points/moStartup (ThingsBoard Cloud)$299 a month500 devices, 500 assets, 500M data points/moBusiness (ThingsBoard Cloud)$749 a month1,000 devices, 1,000 assets, 1B data points/moFree (On-premises)free100 devices, 100 assets, 1 production instancePilot (On-premises)$99 a month100 devices, 100 assets, 1 production instanceStartup (On-premises)$299 a month500 devices, 500 assets, 2 production instancesThe cloud free tier is enough to explore a small project, but its five-device and 1M-data-point monthly caps are restrictive for a growing deployment. Prototype at $39 a month raises that to 50 devices and 10M data points/mo. Pilot at $99 a month offers ten times Prototype’s data allowance and doubles its device count; it is a more credible fit for a live pilot. Startup at $299 a month and Business at $749 a month scale the same pattern to 500 and 1,000 devices respectively, with 500M and 1B data points/mo. Choose by actual throughput as well as fleet size, since either quota can become the constraint.

On-premises changes the trade-off: the free edition allows 100 devices and 100 assets in one production instance, well above the hosted free device cap, while Pilot costs $99 a month for the same device and asset counts. Startup at $299 a month allows 500 of each across two production instances. These are sensible options when self-management or offline operation matters more than hosted convenience. Paid subscriptions include access to the Support Portal; Startup and Business add priority support.

Platforms

ThingsBoard supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, web, API and self-hosted use. The combination of hosted and self-managed deployments makes it possible to choose between managed cloud operation and greater infrastructure control.

Who it's for

ThingsBoard is a good fit for teams that want one platform to connect devices, process telemetry and build live dashboards, particularly where hardware protocols vary or data must stay in a controlled deployment. It is less compelling for a tiny cloud project expected to grow quickly without budget for a higher tier: the free cloud allowance is narrow, and paid plans remain quota-bound.

Pros and cons

Pros

Broad connectivity: Native protocols plus gateway support cover both common IoT links and industrial buses.

Flexible visualization: More than 300 built-in widgets and custom widgets support tailored operational dashboards.

Deployment choice: Cloud, Private Cloud and offline on-premises options accommodate different infrastructure and residency needs.

Useful self-managed free tier: Its 100-device allowance is materially larger than the five-device cloud free tier.

Cons

Small hosted free allowance: Five devices and 1M monthly data points leave little room for a substantial cloud deployment.

Quota-led scaling: Cloud plans cap both devices and data points, so buyers must budget for the dimension that grows first.

On-premises responsibility: Self-managed and offline deployment provide control but require the team to operate its own installation.

Alternatives

For a broader shortlist, compare IoT Analytics Software, IoT Device Management Platforms and IoT Edge Platforms.

InfluxDB is worth considering for a time-series-focused deployment; its Cloud Serverless plan charges for usage, and it also has a free plan.

Ubidots may suit non-commercial projects that fit its free STEM plan of three devices; its Professional plan is $99 a month.

TDengine is an option when an open-source time-series database with clustering is the priority.

Honeywell Forge offers product-specific industrial software with term-based licensing for Advanced Process Control; contact the maker for pricing.

TagoIO has a free plan for five devices and five dashboards, and a $49 a month Starter tier.

Datacake is an alternative with a five-device free plan and a €25 a month Hobby plan that includes one year of data retention.

Zoho IoT is another freemium option, with a Standard plan described for 100 devices/assets and 12 months of data retention.

Kaa IoT Platform is another freemium alternative, including a free five-device plan.

Verdict

Choose ThingsBoard if your project needs device connectivity, processing and real-time visualization in one system, especially when protocol variety or offline deployment matters. Its principal advantage is that breadth paired with deployment choice; look elsewhere if your expected cloud fleet or telemetry volume will quickly outrun the tier you can afford.

Verdict

ThingsBoard combines connectivity, rule-based processing, and visualization with several deployment choices. Check the device and data-point limits for the cloud plan that fits the intended project.

Where Specifiction places it

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