- IoT platforms compared by device, data and fleet features
- Ten IoT platforms for connected products
- New owners for three developer-friendly IoT names
- Maker, product team or industrial: match the platform to the builder
- Five checks before you connect your first device
- My plain advice on picking an IoT platform
- Frequently asked questions
An IoT platform connects your devices to the cloud, collects and stores their data, shows it on dashboards and lets you manage and update the fleet remotely. The right one depends on who's building: a maker with a prototype, a small product team shipping hardware, or an industrial operation. Ten options follow in no particular order.
Every connected product needs the same plumbing behind it. Devices have to authenticate and send data, that data has to be stored and shown somewhere useful, and firmware has to be updated over the air without bricking units in the field. An IoT platform gives you that plumbing so you don't build it from scratch.
This list covers platforms, not SIM cards or connectivity plans. The ten options below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from each vendor's own website, read as of Oct 2026. Once data's flowing, moving it into your other systems is covered in my guide to data integration tools.
IoT platforms compared by device, data and fleet features
I checked the free plan column on each vendor's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the page names a free plan, a free version or an open source edition. Trial only means it names a time-limited free trial. Not stated means the page I read named neither, so check the vendor's own site before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arduino Cloud | Maker IoT cloud | Building and monitoring connected projects | Yes |
| AWS IoT | Cloud IoT services | Very large fleets on AWS | Not stated |
| Blynk | Low-code IoT platform | Branded mobile apps and dashboards | Not stated |
| Cumulocity | Industrial AIoT platform | Asset modelling and remote monitoring | Not stated |
| Golioth | IoT infrastructure (Canonical) | Microcontroller fleets via a firmware SDK | Not stated |
| Kaa | Enterprise IoT platform | Energy, medical and smart city projects | Yes |
| Losant | Enterprise IoT (SUSE) | Industrial apps from templates | Not stated |
| Particle | IoT platform-as-a-service (Digi) | Multi-network fleets with OTA updates | Not stated |
| ThingsBoard | All-in-one IoT platform | On-premises or cloud device management | Not stated |
| Ubidots | Industrial IoT platform | White-label dashboards under your brand | Trial only |
Ten IoT platforms for connected products
Arduino Cloud
Best for: Schools, makers and individuals building, controlling and monitoring connected projects, with an online editor and a free plan.
AWS IoT
Best for: Companies already on AWS that need to connect and manage very large device fleets, then collect, store and analyse IoT data there.
Blynk
Best for: Branded iOS and Android apps for connected devices, with real-time dashboards and connections over MQTT, HTTP and webhooks.
Cumulocity
Best for: Industrial operations modelling assets and their interdependencies, with remote monitoring and IoT data offloaded into the data lake.
Golioth
Best for: Hardware teams connecting microcontrollers through a firmware SDK, managing unlimited devices for free and paying only for data stored and streamed.
Kaa
Best for: Energy, medical device and smart city projects needing an enterprise IoT platform with dashboards, a gateway and Node-RED hosting.
Losant
Best for: Industrial IoT teams wanting application templates, a developer sandbox and cloud deployment, now with SUSE behind it.
Particle
Best for: Connected products using Wi-Fi, cellular, satellite or LoRaWAN, with controlled over-the-air rollouts and one console for the whole fleet.
ThingsBoard
Best for: Teams wanting device management, data collection and dashboards in one platform, either on their own servers or as a cloud service.
Ubidots
Best for: White-label industrial dashboards under your own domain, colours and logo, with data coming in over MQTT, HTTP, TCP or UDP.
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New owners for three developer-friendly IoT names
Here's what I found on the vendor pages. The Particle home page opens with a notice that it's been acquired by Digi, and Golioth's says it's now a part of Canonical. Losant has also announced that SUSE is acquiring it to modernise industrial IoT. So three platforms that small teams build on now have a hardware, Linux or enterprise software parent. That can bring more resources, but ask what changes for existing customers before you design a product around one.
The other surprise is in a page title. Kaa's home page advertises an enterprise IoT platform with a free plan, which is rare at that end of the market.
Maker, product team or industrial: match the platform to the builder
- Makers and prototypes. Look for a free plan, ready-made dashboards and support for common boards. Several platforms here let you publish mobile apps without writing app code.
- Small product teams. You need a firmware SDK, over-the-air updates, device management at scale and data routing into your own cloud. Check how many devices you can manage before charges start.
- Industrial and enterprise. Look for asset modelling, edge processing, on-premises options and links into your data lake and analytics tools.
Five checks before you connect your first device
- Protocols. Does it accept MQTT, HTTP, TCP or UDP, or whatever your devices already speak?
- Over-the-air updates. Can you roll out firmware in stages and roll back if something breaks?
- Connectivity. Wi-Fi, cellular, satellite and LoRaWAN support varies a lot between platforms.
- Hosting. Is it cloud only, or can you run it on your own servers for data that can't leave the site?
- White label. If customers will see the dashboards, can you use your own domain, colours and logo?
Once devices are live, you'll want to know the moment one goes quiet. The monitoring side of that is covered in my roundup of observability tools.
Do you make an IoT platform? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on picking an IoT platform
Build your prototype on whatever gets data on screen fastest, then choose the production platform separately. The things that hurt later are over-the-air updates, device management at scale and getting your data out, so test those with ten real devices before you commit.
And read the ownership news. When a platform you depend on gets bought, ask the new parent directly what happens to your plan and your data.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What is an IoT platform?
It's software that connects devices to the cloud, collects and stores their data, shows it on dashboards and lets you manage and update devices remotely.
Is there a free IoT platform?
Yes. Two platforms on this list name a free plan on their own site, shown in the free plan column. Several others offer a free start or a free trial.
What's the difference between an IoT platform and IoT connectivity?
Connectivity providers supply the SIM cards and networks that carry device data. The platform is what receives, stores and acts on that data. Many products need both.
Can I host an IoT platform myself?
Some platforms offer an on-premises version alongside their cloud service. Check each vendor's own site if your data has to stay on your servers.
What is industrial IoT?
It's connecting machines, sensors and equipment in factories, energy sites and logistics, usually for remote monitoring, equipment health and process automation.
