Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

AWS IoT Core VS Azure IoT Central

Compare AWS IoT Core VS Azure IoT Central and see what are their differences

AWS IoT Core logo AWS IoT Core

Whether building a connected home application for home security or building an industrial application to proactively identify equipment breakdown, you can use AWS IoT Core to securely communicate with and gather data from your diverse fleet of IoT d…

Azure IoT Central logo Azure IoT Central

Build and manage enterprise IoT solutions with Azure IoT Central, an end-to-end application platform to quickly connect millions of devices.
  • AWS IoT Core Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-02-05
  • Azure IoT Central Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-11

AWS IoT Core features and specs

  • Scalability
    AWS IoT Core can automatically scale to accommodate billions of devices and trillions of messages, making it suitable for both small and large IoT deployments.
  • Integration with AWS Services
    Seamlessly integrates with other AWS services, such as AWS Lambda, Amazon S3, and Amazon DynamoDB, allowing for complex workflows and data processing.
  • Security
    Provides robust security features including mutual authentication, end-to-end encryption, and fine-grained access control to protect data.
  • Device Management
    Offers features for managing device fleets, such as registering devices, managing permissions, and monitoring connectivity status.
  • MQTT Support
    Supports the popular MQTT protocol, which is lightweight and ideal for connecting remote devices with minimal bandwidth.
  • Serverless Architecture
    Supports a serverless approach, which reduces the need for infrastructure management and allows developers to focus more on building applications.

Possible disadvantages of AWS IoT Core

  • Complex Pricing
    The pricing structure can be complex, involving costs for messaging, data transfer, and other AWS services, which can make it challenging to estimate costs accurately.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    The platform's extensive features and broad integration options can be overwhelming for new users or those unfamiliar with AWS services.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    Using AWS IoT Core can lead to potential vendor lock-in due to the deep integration with the broader suite of AWS services.
  • Latency
    Depending on the geographical location of devices and nearest AWS regions, there may be concerns about latency for time-sensitive applications.
  • Limited Offline Capabilities
    Primarily designed for cloud connectivity, so offline capabilities might require additional configuration or third-party solutions.

Azure IoT Central features and specs

  • Simplified Deployment
    Azure IoT Central offers an easy-to-use, fully managed interface that simplifies the deployment of IoT solutions without requiring deep cloud expertise.
  • Scalability
    The platform supports scalable solutions, allowing users to start with small projects and expand as needed without significant infrastructure changes.
  • Security
    Integrated security features such as data encryption, secure connectivity, and role-based access control help protect IoT data and devices.
  • Integration Capabilities
    IoT Central integrates seamlessly with other Azure services, enabling users to leverage existing Azure resources for enhanced functionality.
  • Cost Management
    The pay-as-you-go pricing model helps manage costs effectively by only charging for the resources used, reducing unnecessary expenses for small-scale projects.

Possible disadvantages of Azure IoT Central

  • Limited Customization
    While it simplifies IoT solutions, the predefined templates and managed service architecture may limit in-depth customization for more complex solutions.
  • Dependency on Microsoft Ecosystem
    Azure IoT Central is deeply integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem, which can be a limitation if integration with non-Microsoft platforms is required.
  • Price Variability
    Despite the pay-as-you-go model, costs can become unpredictable or high in scenarios with large-scale deployments or extensive data usage.
  • Learning Curve
    Although designed for simplicity, there is still a learning curve involved in understanding the platform's capabilities and how to effectively utilize them.
  • Feature Limitations
    Some advanced features available in other Azure IoT offerings (like Azure IoT Hub) might not be fully supported or available, limiting some advanced use cases.

AWS IoT Core videos

Getting Started with AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN

More videos:

  • Review - How can I start publishing messages to AWS IoT Core from my device?

Azure IoT Central videos

Connect Industrial Sensors to Microsoft Azure IoT Central — Plug&Play

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to AWS IoT Core and Azure IoT Central)
Data Dashboard
43 43%
57% 57
IoT Platform
35 35%
65% 65
Analytics
45 45%
55% 55
IoT
36 36%
64% 64

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare AWS IoT Core and Azure IoT Central

AWS IoT Core Reviews

Open Source Internet of Things (IoT) Platforms
It is a managed cloud service. AWS IoT Core will allow devices to connect with the cloud and interact with the other devices and cloud applications. It provides support for HTTP, lightweight communication protocol, and MQTT.
14 of the Best IoT Platforms to Watch in 2021
AWS IoT Core is a behemoth in IoT platforms, and is the backbone of many fascinating projects such as Expedia, AirBnB, and CoinBase. With support for device software such as FreeRTOS and AWS IoT Greengrass, AWS IoT Core encompasses a vastly superior ecosystem of products allowing development in smart homes and industrial automation. All AWS data is visualized on an AWS IoT...

Azure IoT Central Reviews

14 of the Best IoT Platforms to Watch in 2021
Azure IoT Central by Microsoft is another big IoT platform which can scale from developer-centric prototypes to large industrial scale applications. With quick cloud connectivity, centralized visualization, and a simple plug-and-play infrastructure, Azure IoT Central is a significant force to reckon with. We have tutorials of Azure IoT Edge for both Windows and Linux.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, AWS IoT Core seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 9 times since March 2021. 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.

AWS IoT Core mentions (9)

  • AWS AppSync Events vs IoT Core
    AWS recently announced AppSync Events and it looks like very useful service. However when I was reading about it, it just felt like this is "just" a layer on top of IoT Core which exists for many years. Let's find out if this is the case... - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • WebSockets, gRPC, MQTT, and SSE - Which Real-Time Notification Method Is For You?
    MQTT - AWS IoT Core offers a managed MQTT message broker, giving you easy access to your devices. Fun fact, this is what powers the notifications in Serverlesspresso. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Serverless Facial Recognition Voting Application Using AWS Services
    AWS IoT: For real-time communication between the server and the frontend application. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Building Serverlesspresso
    AWS IoT Core is a service that allows you to connect your devices securely to the AWS cloud and with ease. Option for device management, data processing as well as integration with other AWS services is provided. Click here for more on AWS IoT Core. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Use EventBridge to handle API requests
    From here you can do all sorts of actions. For example, the serverless-coffee project used IOT Core. With IOT Core you can notify the end-user with status updates. And notify the barista that what kind of coffee needs to be created. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
View more

Azure IoT Central mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Azure IoT Central yet. Tracking of Azure IoT Central recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing AWS IoT Core and Azure IoT Central, you can also consider the following products

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

Azure IoT Hub - Manage billions of IoT devices with Azure IoT Hub, a cloud platform that lets you easily connect, monitor, provision, and configure IoT devices.

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

Blynk.io - We make internet of things simple

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

Axonize - Axonize IoT platform - the smarter way to truly realize your IoT potential and create smart, scalable IoT projects to increase profitability.