Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Blynk.io VS Thingsboard

Compare Blynk.io VS Thingsboard and see what are their differences

Blynk.io logo Blynk.io

We make internet of things simple

Thingsboard logo Thingsboard

Thingsboard is an open-source IoT platform for data collection, processing, visualization, and device management.
  • Blynk.io Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-19

Blynk is a low-code IoT software platform for connecting devices to the cloud, building mobile apps to remotely control and monitor them, and managing thousands of users and deployed products. It’s a PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) that helps businesses and individuals seamlessly progress from a prototype of a connected product to its commercial launch and further growth.

  • Thingsboard Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-04

Blynk.io features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Blynk.io offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, which makes it accessible to both beginners and experienced developers. Its drag-and-drop functionality simplifies the process of IoT application development.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Blynk.io supports various platforms such as iOS, Android, and major hardware like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, ESP8266, and others. This multi-platform support can accelerate the development and deployment of IoT projects.
  • Cloud Connectivity
    Blynk provides seamless cloud connectivity, allowing developers to control their IoT devices remotely and access data from anywhere. This enhances the functionality and usability of IoT solutions.
  • Extensive Widget Library
    Blynk.io offers a wide range of widgets that can be used to create user interfaces for IoT applications. This extensive library aids in customizing the user experience according to specific requirements.
  • Active Community and Support
    The platform has a large, active community and robust support resources, including forums, tutorials, and documentation. This facilitates troubleshooting and inspires innovation among developers.

Possible disadvantages of Blynk.io

  • Subscription-Based Pricing
    The advanced features and commercial use of Blynk.io require a subscription, which might be prohibitive for hobbyists or small startups with limited budgets.
  • Limited Free Tier
    The free tier comes with limitations on the number of devices and widgets, which may hinder the development of complex or larger-scale IoT projects without upgrading to a paid plan.
  • Data Privacy Concerns
    Since Blynk operates on a cloud-based model, some users may have concerns about data privacy and security, especially when dealing with sensitive or proprietary information.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic features are straightforward, there can be a steep learning curve to master advanced functionalities and integrations, requiring significant time and effort for less experienced users.
  • Dependency on Internet Connection
    Blynk's cloud-based nature means that an active and stable internet connection is essential for optimal functioning. This dependency can be a drawback in regions with poor connectivity.

Thingsboard features and specs

  • Open Source
    ThingsBoard is open-source, which means it's freely available for use and can be customized to meet specific needs. This makes it cost-effective for enterprises of all sizes.
  • Scalable
    It is designed to be scalable, supporting upwards of millions of devices. This makes it suitable for both small-scale projects and large-scale enterprise solutions.
  • Feature-Rich
    ThingsBoard offers a wide variety of features including data visualization, alarms, and rule chain processing. This comprehensive feature set can cover most IoT project requirements.
  • Community Support
    Being open-source, ThingsBoard benefits from an active community. Users can get support, share ideas, and contribute to the project's development.
  • Flexibility
    ThingsBoard provides a flexible data model and supports multiple IoT protocols (e.g., HTTP, MQTT, CoAP), allowing for a wide range of use cases.
  • Integration-ready
    It easily integrates with popular databases and third-party systems, streamlining the process of building IoT solutions.
  • Real-time Data Processing
    ThingsBoard supports real-time data processing and analytics which is crucial for timely decision-making in IoT applications.

Possible disadvantages of Thingsboard

  • Complexity
    The extensive features and capabilities can make ThingsBoard complex to set up and configure, requiring a steep learning curve for new users.
  • Performance
    In some cases, users have reported performance issues when handling very high loads, which may require additional infrastructure or optimization.
  • Documentation
    While ThingsBoard has substantial documentation, some users find it can be lacking in certain areas or not sufficiently detailed for complex configurations.
  • Maintenance
    Being open-source, maintenance and updates might require more hands-on involvement compared to commercial alternatives, including dealing with potential bugs and security vulnerabilities.
  • Integration Complexity
    While ThingsBoard is integration-ready, the actual process of integrating it with other systems or custom solutions can be complex and may require additional development resources.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running a fully-featured ThingsBoard instance can be resource-intensive, requiring significant hardware and potentially increasing operational costs.
  • UI/UX Limitations
    The user interface, though functional, may not be as polished or intuitive as some commercial alternatives, potentially affecting user experience.

Blynk.io videos

Blynk IoT Platform Overview

More videos:

  • Tutorial - New Blynk IoT platform with esp32 | how to setup automation in Blynk IoT app | #iot #blynk #esp32🔥🔥

Thingsboard videos

Getting started with ThingsBoard v2.0+

More videos:

  • Review - What's new in ThingsBoard v3.1.x?
  • Review - ThingsBoard Community Edition: Introduction

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Blynk.io and Thingsboard)
IoT Platform
65 65%
35% 35
Data Dashboard
53 53%
47% 47
IoT
59 59%
41% 41
Analytics
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Blynk.io and Thingsboard

Blynk.io Reviews

Best IoT Platforms in 2022 for Small Business
Blynk is a multi-tenant solution with which you can add users and assign permissions to download the app, connect the devices and get access to your data. Blynk also offers a white-label solution enabling you to add your company logo, choose the theme, colors, app icon and publish the app to the App Store and Google Play under your company name. Blynk offers an interface to...
Source: www.fogwing.io
Open Source Internet of Things (IoT) Platforms
As a hardware-agnostic IoT platform, Blynk.io comes with device management, data analytics, and machine learning functionalities while allowing you to connect to any device. You also have a mobile app constructor that allows you to build IoT apps per drag-and-drop. You get a variety of ready-made widgets to create white-labeled native iOS and Android apps for any use case.
14 of the Best IoT Platforms to Watch in 2021
With a promise to help you build your first IoT app in five minutes, Blynk is another extensive IoT platform supporting 400+ hardware devices. These include Arduino and all its shields, Espressif devices (ESP32 and ESP8266), Particle, MicroPython, and many single-board computers. Using this platform is that simple because you only need to download the Blynk app for Android...

Thingsboard Reviews

Best IoT Platforms in 2022 for Small Business
The platform raises alarms on incoming telemetry events, device inactivity, attribute updates, and user actions with the ThingsBoard Rules Engine. ThingsBoard helps connect the IoT devices through standard IoT protocols namely MQTT, HTTP and CoAP and supports both cloud and on-premises deployments. It allows you to construct your ThingsBoard cluster to get maximum...
Source: www.fogwing.io
Open Source Internet of Things (IoT) Platforms
ThingsBoard is an open-source IoT platform for data collection, processing, data visualization, and device management. ThingsBoard enables device connectivity via industry standard IoT protocols — MQTT, CoAP, and HTTP and supports cloud and on-premises deployments. ThingsBoard combines scalability, fault tolerance and performance so you never lose data.
14 of the Best IoT Platforms to Watch in 2021
ThingsBoard is an open-source IoT platform which is often used on an industrial scale for complex applications such as smart farming, telemetry, fleet management, smart meters, smart energy, and building automation. Its features include granular data visualization across widgets and dashboards, API and widgets to push commands between devices and apps, and support for...

Social recommendations and mentions

Thingsboard might be a bit more popular than Blynk.io. We know about 10 links to it since March 2021 and only 10 links to Blynk.io. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Blynk.io mentions (10)

  • Real-Time IoT Visualization Essentials
    5. Blynk: Blynk is perfect for IoT developers building mobile-based projects. This powerful platform not only enables you to monitor your IoT devices seamlessly but also allows you to create interactive dashboards directly on your smartphone. With Blynk, you can visualize live data and control your devices from anywhere. We will explore how Blynk enhances real-time monitoring and transforms the way we interact... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • free-for.dev
    Blynk — A SaaS with API to control, build & evaluate IoT devices. Free Developer Plan with 5 devices,Free Cloud & data storage. Mobile Apps also available. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • way to control led strips by phone
    Https://blynk.io/ (you can find an example that uses their legacy API in one of my releases). Source: about 2 years ago
  • Wemos Controlled Solar Powered Well Monitor
    Like it says, to try and keep up with the changing well levels in the summer at my house, I put together a project to monitor well water levels and update a Blynk app. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Blynk for Arduino Nano
    Agreed about google and would add clarity. In the field of IT clarity is critical. If OP had said blynk.io, the .io would have clicked with me that it was a web site. Another guy just asked about PS/2 - I thought he meant the keyboard/mouse interface. Others twigged that he meant Playstation 2. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

Thingsboard mentions (10)

  • Real-Time IoT Visualization Essentials
    2. ThingsBoard: An open-source IoT platform that supports data visualization, remote control, and device management. Its real-time data widgets allow users to track device metrics dynamically. Https://thingsboard.io/. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Looking to implement a real time tracking feature in my Django project and I dunno where to begin
    You might find something more attuned to that use case to be more helpful out of the box (like thingsboard.io) but if you're committed to django, set up an API endpoint to receive json updates ('events') sent from the arduino. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Best Four IoT Platforms
    Introduction:As a 100% open source IoT platform that can be hosted as a SaaS or PaaS solution, Thingsboard can provide device management, data collection, processing and visualization for your IoT project. The standard protocols that provide device connectivity such as MQTT, CoAP, and HTTP are all available on ThingsBoard. In addition, it supports cloud and local deployment and provides more than 30 customizable... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Newbie: how important is aeration for small NAS / server room?
    Then host a ThingsBoard server and use the HTTP API to push data from the device. You can send alerts with Pushover. Source: about 2 years ago
  • React component library Concis | Components break through 50+, mobile concis starts, new English documentation, continuous update...
    **Source** [thingsboard (a foreign iot platform)](https://thingsboard.io/). Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Blynk.io and Thingsboard, you can also consider the following products

ThingSpeak - Open source data platform for the Internet of Things. ThingSpeak Features

ioBroker - flexible and modular application for the IoT and Smarthome

AWS IoT - Easily and securely connect devices to the cloud.

Ubidots - A cloud service to capture and make sense of sensor data

Domoticz - Domoticz is a lightweight Home Automation System

Particle.io - Particle is an IoT platform enabling businesses to build, connect and manage their connected solutions.