Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ioBroker VS Particle.io

Compare ioBroker VS Particle.io and see what are their differences

ioBroker logo ioBroker

flexible and modular application for the IoT and Smarthome

Particle.io logo Particle.io

Particle is an IoT platform enabling businesses to build, connect and manage their connected solutions.
  • ioBroker Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-22

More than 500 different modules(adapters) that can be interconnected with each other. E.g. Homematic or KNX can control HUE or sonos and vice versa.

  • Particle.io Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-23

ioBroker

Pricing URL
-
$ Details
free
Platforms
Linux Windows Mac OSX REST API JavaScript
Release Date
2015 October

ioBroker features and specs

  • Open Source
    ioBroker is an open-source platform, which means it is free to use and continuously improved by a community of developers. This allows for transparency and flexibility in the usage and modification of the software.
  • Modular Architecture
    The platform supports a modular approach through adapters, which makes it highly extensible and allows users to add functionality as needed without bloating the system.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    ioBroker can run on various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, macOS, and even on lightweight devices like Raspberry Pi, making it highly versatile.
  • Wide Range of Adapters
    It supports a wide variety of adapters for different devices and services, enabling users to integrate numerous smart home products and protocols seamlessly.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    ioBroker offers an intuitive and user-friendly web interface, making it accessible for users with varying levels of technical expertise.
  • Automation Flexibility
    The platform supports powerful automation capabilities, allowing users to create complex automation rules and scenarios tailored to their needs.

Particle.io features and specs

  • Comprehensive IoT Ecosystem
    Particle.io offers a complete IoT ecosystem with hardware, software, and cloud integration, making it easier for developers to build, deploy, and manage IoT solutions.
  • Device Management
    It provides robust device management features, allowing users to monitor and control a large number of devices remotely, ensuring better scalability and maintenance.
  • Cloud Connectivity
    Particle’s devices come with built-in cloud connectivity, which saves time and effort in setting up secure and reliable communications for IoT devices.
  • Extensive Documentation
    Particle.io offers extensive and well-organized documentation, making it easier for both beginners and experienced developers to get started and troubleshoot issues.
  • Community Support
    Particle.io has a strong community of developers who contribute to forums and share knowledge, aiding in problem-solving and project development.
  • Security
    Particle prioritizes security, providing features like over-the-air updates, secure boot, and encrypted communications, ensuring that IoT deployments are secure.
  • Development Tools
    It offers powerful development tools, including a web IDE, local development environment, and mobile app, catering to different user preferences.

Possible disadvantages of Particle.io

  • Cost
    Particle’s comprehensive solution can be more expensive compared to other DIY or less integrated IoT solutions, potentially making it less appealing for hobbyists or budget-constrained projects.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite extensive documentation, the breadth of features and services may present a steeper learning curve for new users or those less familiar with IoT concepts.
  • Hardware Dependence
    Users may find themselves dependent on Particle’s specific hardware offerings, which could limit flexibility or increase costs if alternative hardware needs to be integrated.
  • Service Dependency
    Reliance on Particle’s cloud services implies that any service downtime or changes in service terms could impact one's IoT projects significantly.
  • Complexity
    For simple IoT applications, the extensive features of Particle.io might be overkill, adding unnecessary complexity to projects that do not require advanced capabilities.

ioBroker videos

ioBroker: Rock64 Langzeit-Review - Bereue ich den Kauf?

More videos:

  • Review - iObroker Teil1 | Grundlagen/Übersicht | Review Smart Home Kombination 2019 [GERMAN/DEUTSCH]
  • Review - SMARTE ZENTRALE | ioBroker als kostenlose SmartHome-Automation

Particle.io videos

Particle All In One Face Cream For Men Review | thatsNathan

More videos:

  • Review - MEN'S SKIN CARE ROUTINE ! ( PARTICLE CREAM REVIEW )
  • Tutorial - THE BEST MEN'S SKIN CARE ROUTINE! ( PARTICLE FOR MEN FACE WASH REVIEW ) How To Have Great Skin!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ioBroker and Particle.io)
Data Dashboard
77 77%
23% 23
IoT Platform
0 0%
100% 100
Home
100 100%
0% 0
Smarthome
100 100%
0% 0

Questions and Answers

As answered by people managing ioBroker and Particle.io.

What makes your product unique?

ioBroker's answer

  • Multi-Host support for Scalability and better connectivity (you can connect many ioBroker hosts together),
  • Comprehensive visualization(Vis, iQontrol, ...),
  • Flexibility (jsonl for simplisity as DB or Redis as high performance DB),
  • ioBroker is highly flexible and customizable...

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

ioBroker's answer

  • Compatibility: ioBroker supports a vast range of devices and protocols, making it one of the most versatile smart home automation systems available. It is compatible with many popular brands and can integrate with virtually any smart device, offering a level of flexibility that might not be available with other platforms.

  • Open Source: As an open-source platform, ioBroker is free to use and continuously updated and improved by a community of developers. This allows for greater customization, transparency, and control over your home automation setup.

  • Scalability: ioBroker is designed to handle complex smart home setups. No matter how many devices you have or plan to add in the future, the platform is designed to scale and manage a large and diverse range of devices efficiently.

  • JavaScript and Blockly support: For those comfortable with programming, ioBroker offers the option to write scripts in JavaScript. For users who prefer a graphical interface, Blockly is available. This versatility can be appealing for both beginners and experienced users.

  • Data Logging: ioBroker has extensive data logging capabilities, allowing users to store, analyze, and visualize data from their smart devices over long periods of time. This can be incredibly valuable for monitoring energy usage, tracking trends, and optimizing your smart home setup.

  • Community and Support: ioBroker has a strong and active community of users and developers who can provide assistance, share ideas, and help troubleshoot any issues you may encounter.

How would you describe your primary audience?

ioBroker's answer

Mostly users are german speaking, but all documentation is primary in english.

What's the story behind your product?

ioBroker's answer

ioBroker is an open-source Internet of Things (IoT) platform that was developed with the aim to provide a unified and flexible solution for smart home automation. It's primarily driven by a community of enthusiasts and developers contributing to its ongoing development and expansion.

The project was initiated to overcome the limitations of existing smart home platforms, particularly the inability of many platforms to integrate with a wide variety of devices and brands. ioBroker was designed with a focus on compatibility, scalability, and flexibility, aiming to provide a solution that can integrate a vast array of smart devices, regardless of manufacturer or protocol, and handle complex home automation setups.

While the platform was initially more popular among the tech-savvy due to its need for more technical involvement, over time, efforts have been made to make it more user-friendly and accessible to a wider audience.

As an open-source project, the ongoing development of ioBroker is dependent on the contributions of its community, including software developers and end-users, who continually work on refining the software, expanding its compatibility with different devices, and improving its features.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

ioBroker's answer

JavaScript, Redis, Mqtt, MUI-UI.

User comments

Share your experience with using ioBroker and Particle.io. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

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

ioBroker Reviews

16 Open Source Home Automation Platforms To Use In 2020
ioBroker appeared on the open source home automation spectrum at the beginning of 2017, but it went on to become one of the fastest growing communities in the game. With more than 21,000 users happy to chime in, ioBroker is a strong proposition that offers a total of around 300 integrations. That's great considering that the software is completely free to use. Why not give...
Source: ubidots.com

Particle.io Reviews

Best IoT Platforms in 2022 for Small Business
The IoT solutions offered by Particle are fully integrated and it is an easy to use IoT platform with built-in infrastructure. The particle’s operating system and the Device OS are the differentiators as it expedites the complex integration between firmware, hardware, and network connectivity on all Particle devices.
Source: www.fogwing.io
Open Source Internet of Things (IoT) Platforms
Self-describing as a “complete edge-to-cloud platform”, Particle.io also contains all the building blocks for developing an IoT product. This includes connectivity, device management, and even the hardware required to prototype IoT solutions and scale quickly thanks to the robust infrastructure. The platform supports IoT data collection and over-the-air development in a...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Particle.io 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.

ioBroker mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ioBroker yet. Tracking of ioBroker recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Particle.io mentions (9)

  • What hardware do I need for a robot to upload information to the cloud?
    Look into AWS Greengrass, Robomaker, etc. If you're looking for more customization. Or you could use an all-in-one product like from particle.io if you'd more of an out-of-the-box solution. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Web developer becoming embedded engineer?
    5) look at using a GPRS or LTE (look at particle.io) cell monitor a fridge or freezer. Source: over 3 years ago
  • KnowYourCrypto #51: BitTorrent Token (BTT)
    I really dig your KYC reports. Please do Particl particle.io next :). Source: over 3 years ago
  • Cloud solution for ESP8266
    That's not how I read the OP's proposal. It sounds more like they want to build something like the service that http://particle.io/ appears to provide. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Ray Ozzie's latest venture is a cheap IoT board with flat rate connectivity
    Looks cool! How does this differ from http://particle.io ? - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ioBroker and Particle.io, you can also consider the following products

Home-Assistant.io - Home Assistant is an open-source home automation platform running on Python 3.

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

openHAB - "empowering the smart home" - vendor and technology agnostic open source home automation

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.

Google Home - Set up, manage, and control your Chromecast, Chromecast Audio and Google Home devices.

AWS Greengrass - Local compute, messaging, data caching, and synch capabilities for connected devices