After the ThingsBoard 4.4 license change
ThingsBoard Alternatives in 2026: 7 Platforms Compared
On 29 September 2026 ThingsBoard moved to the Business Source License 1.1 from version 4.4. Commercial production use is free only up to 100 devices on one server, with the ThingsBoard branding visible; beyond that you need a commercial license. Version 4.3 LTS stays on Apache 2.0 with security updates until 20 July 2027. If you are weighing a move, the managed options are Cloud Studio IoT (multi-tenant white label for integrators, LoRaWAN and industrial protocols), Datacake, Akenza, Ubidots and TagoIO. If you need open source to self-host, look at OpenRemote (AGPL-3.0) or Thinger.io (MIT). If you want it on your own servers without running it yourself, Cloud Studio IoT also installs on-premise, and we handle the installation and updates.
How we compared the alternatives
We scored each platform 1 to 5 on the same six criteria we use in our ranking of the best IoT platforms of 2026, from public documentation and pricing pages. We are biased: Cloud Studio IoT is one of the platforms, and it is scored with the same rubric as the rest. For teams leaving ThingsBoard, two questions matter before the scores: do you want someone else to run the servers, and do you need source code you can fork?
Ease of use & low-code
How fast can a non-developer go from device to dashboard? UI workflows, drag-and-drop builders, template marketplace.
Protocol coverage
MQTT, LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, Modbus, OPC-UA, BACnet — multi-protocol native support without paid plugins.
Multi-tenant & white-label
Can integrators serve N customers with isolation, custom branding, per-tenant billing? Critical for partners.
Pricing transparency
Public pricing page with clear tier breakdown vs. opaque enterprise quotes that lock SMBs out.
Ecosystem & integrations
Active community, third-party integrations, partner network, certified hardware list.
Security & compliance
TLS 1.3, RBAC, audit logs, GDPR/EED data residency options, SOC 2 path.
7 ThingsBoard alternatives at a glance
Hosting model, license and score of each alternative. Click a name to jump to its review.
| # | Platform | Best for | Hosting | Open source | Pricing | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cloud Studio IoT | Integrators who used ThingsBoard PE for white-label client portals and don't want to run the servers | SaaS + self | From €100/mo (up to 50 devices) / White label from €550/mo | 4.3 | |
| 2 | Datacake | LoRaWAN sensor projects that want dashboards in an afternoon | SaaS | 5 devices free / Hobby €25/mo (25 devices) / Light €159/mo (50 devices) | 4.0 | |
| 3 | Akenza | Mixed LoRaWAN and cellular fleets, especially in the DACH region | SaaS + self | Elemental $0 / Advanced $199/mo / Expert $599/mo, all + $1.50 per device | 3.9 | |
| 4 | Ubidots | Teams that need client-facing dashboards quickly and don't mind a per-device price | SaaS | Professional $99/mo (50 devices, then $2 each) / Industrial and Enterprise on quote | 3.8 | |
| 5 | TagoIO | Product teams that start small and expect to need a dedicated instance later | SaaS | Free (5 devices) / Starter $49/mo / Scale $199/mo / TagoDeploy $850/mo | 3.8 | |
| 6 | Thinger.io | Small teams that want permissive open source and a modest budget | SaaS + self | Self-hosted server free (MIT) / Private cloud and support plans on their pricing page | 3.4 | |
| 7 | OpenRemote | Teams leaving ThingsBoard CE that want to stay fully open source and self-host | Self-hosted | Free (AGPL-3.0) / Hosting and development services on quote | 3.2 |
The alternatives, one by one
Pros and cons come from each vendor's documentation and pricing page, not from their marketing. Prices are the public ones on 1 October 2026.
Cloud Studio IoT
Managed, multi-tenant IoT platform with white label for integrators who sell IoT to their own clients, strong on LoRaWAN fleets and industrial protocols.
- Multi-tenant and white label without a separate edition
- LoRaWAN through The Things Stack, LORIOT, ThingPark X, ChirpStack, Helium and others, with 250+ devices documented with decoders
- Modbus and OPC UA through an edge software gateway that forwards over MQTT
- Alerts by email, SMS, WhatsApp, voice call and push
- Also on your own servers (on-premise), with white label included: we install and update it, and you can start in the cloud and move later
- Not open source: no code to fork
- Smaller community than ThingsBoard
- Dashboards and rules have to be rebuilt; there is no ThingsBoard importer
Datacake
European low-code platform with the simplest UX in this list and its own LoRaWAN network server; thinner on industrial protocols.
- First 5 devices free, no credit card
- Integrated LoRaWAN network server and hundreds of ready-made device decoders
- Unlimited workspaces and one white label from the Light plan
- Cloud only, no on-premise option
- OPC UA and industrial protocols go through Node-RED
- Branded mobile app costs €300/mo plus €2,000 setup
Akenza
Swiss platform with solid device management and connectivity bundled in (LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, LTE-M), priced per device on top of a monthly plan.
- Device lifecycle management is well thought out
- ISO 27001 certified and GDPR compliant
- Private Cloud on your own servers, on request
- $1.50 per device on top of every plan
- White label only on Expert ($599/mo) or Private Cloud
- OPC UA not documented
Ubidots
Dashboard-first platform with the fastest path from sensor to chart; organizations and end users for client portals, white label as an add-on.
- Very fast from first data to a usable dashboard
- Organizations and end-user management on every plan
- 200+ device and gateway integrations
- No permanent free plan, only a 30-day trial
- White label is a paid add-on
- Cloud only; private cloud negotiated on Enterprise
TagoIO
Low-code platform with a free tier, LoRaWAN network server integrations and dedicated instances (TagoDeploy) for larger fleets.
- Free plan with 5 devices and 5 dashboards
- LoRaWAN integrations (Actility, Everynet, TTN and more) and a public device catalog
- Dedicated instances in 12+ regions with TagoDeploy
- White label and custom domain are a $99/mo add-on
- Plans cap data inputs and outputs (Starter: 1M in, 3M out)
- Branded mobile app: $99/mo plus $2,000 one-time
Thinger.io
Spanish platform whose server is MIT-licensed: self-host it for free, or pay for their private cloud and support.
- MIT license: the most permissive in this list
- Runs in the cloud, on-premise with Docker or on a Raspberry Pi
- Native TTN, ChirpStack and LORIOT integrations
- Small company, slower roadmap
- Multi-tenant features are limited
- Smaller integration ecosystem
OpenRemote
Fully open-source platform (AGPL-3.0) with multi-tenancy through realms, edge gateways and Docker images; you run it, or hire them to.
- AGPL-3.0, free to self-host with no device limit
- Multi-tenancy (realms), users and roles built in
- Docker images for amd64 and arm64, plus edge gateway
- You carry the DevOps work, as with ThingsBoard CE
- AGPL obligations if you modify it and offer it as a service
- Smaller community (about 1,900 GitHub stars)
ThingsBoard alternatives: FAQ
See how your ThingsBoard setup would look on Cloud Studio IoT
Book a 30-minute call. Bring your device list, your dashboards and how you serve your clients, and we'll tell you honestly what moves easily and what has to be rebuilt.
Sources
- [1]ThingsBoard (2026). Re-licensing ThingsBoard editions into one source-available product
- [2]GitHub (2026). ThingsBoard LICENSE (Business Source License 1.1, version 4.4.0 or later)
- [3]Datacake (2026). Datacake pricing
- [4]Akenza (2026). Akenza pricing
- [5]Ubidots (2026). Ubidots pricing
- [6]TagoIO (2026). TagoIO pricing
- [7]GitHub (2026). OpenRemote repository (AGPL-3.0)