Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

The Things Network VS Pipedream

Compare The Things Network VS Pipedream and see what are their differences

The Things Network logo The Things Network

Building a global open LoRaWANโ„ข network.

Pipedream logo Pipedream

Integration platform for developers
  • The Things Network Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-14
  • Pipedream Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-24

The Things Network features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

Pipedream features and specs

  • No-Code Integration
    Pipedream allows users to connect services and automate workflows without needing extensive coding skills, making it accessible for non-developers.
  • Extensive Integrations
    Pipedream supports a wide range of APIs and services, enabling users to connect various platforms and tools seamlessly.
  • Scalability
    Pipedream can handle large volumes of data and complex workflows, which makes it suitable for both small and large-scale operations.
  • Real-Time Event Sourcing
    Pipedream allows real-time monitoring and processing of events, which is beneficial for applications needing instant updates.
  • Community Support
    The platform has a strong community of users and extensive documentation, providing plenty of resources and examples to help users get started.
  • Flexibility
    Users can write custom code when needed to ensure that integrations and workflows meet specific requirements.

Possible disadvantages of Pipedream

  • Pricing
    While Pipedream offers a free tier, advanced features and higher usage levels can become costly for freelance developers and small businesses.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite being a no-code platform, there can be a learning curve associated with understanding how to leverage all the features effectively.
  • Limited Offline Support
    Pipedream is a cloud-based service, and its functionality is limited when offline access is needed, which can be a drawback for some use cases.
  • Dependency on External Services
    As with any integration platform, workflow stability can be affected by the uptime and performance of third-party APIs and services used.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Handling sensitive data through an external platform can raise privacy and security concerns, especially in regulated industries.

Analysis of The Things Network

Overall verdict

  • The Things Network is a solid, community-driven LoRaWAN platform that offers a reliable and cost-effective way to build IoT applications, especially for those getting started or working on low-power, long-range projects.

Why this product is good

  • Free-to-use open community network with global coverage in many regions
  • Built on LoRaWAN, offering long-range, low-power connectivity ideal for IoT sensors
  • Strong, active developer community with extensive documentation and forums
  • Easy integration with popular platforms and services via APIs, MQTT, and webhooks
  • Backed by The Things Industries, which offers a scalable commercial tier (The Things Stack) for production deployments
  • Encourages open collaboration and shared infrastructure, reducing costs for hobbyists and startups

Recommended for

  • IoT hobbyists and makers experimenting with LoRaWAN devices
  • Startups and developers prototyping low-power, long-range IoT solutions
  • Smart city, agriculture, and environmental monitoring projects
  • Educational and research institutions exploring IoT connectivity
  • Organizations needing an affordable entry point before scaling to commercial LoRaWAN networks

Analysis of Pipedream

Overall verdict

  • Pipedream is generally considered a good tool for developers looking to streamline API integrations and automate workflows. Its intuitive interface and robust set of features make it a popular choice for those looking to build and deploy event-driven applications quickly. However, as with any tool, whether it is 'good' can depend on specific use cases and organizational needs.

Why this product is good

  • Pipedream is a cloud-based integration platform that allows developers to easily integrate APIs, automate workflows, and create event-driven applications. It supports a wide range of apps and services and allows users to write code directly in the browser. Pipedream is praised for its ease of use, real-time event streaming, and the ability to handle complex workflows without extensive infrastructure setup.

Recommended for

    Pipedream is recommended for developers, especially those working in small to medium-sized enterprises, startups, or any environment where rapid development and deployment of API integrations are needed. It's also suitable for developers who appreciate serverless architecture and need to automate workflows without managing the underlying infrastructure.

The Things Network videos

No The Things Network videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Pipedream videos

Using Event Sources and Workflows: Analyze Twitter Sentiment in Real-Time and Save to Google Sheets

More videos:

  • Demo - Managing the Concurrency and Execution Rate of Workflow Events
  • Demo - Save Zoom Cloud Recordings to Google Drive and Share on Slack

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare The Things Network and Pipedream

The Things Network Reviews

We have no reviews of The Things Network yet.
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Pipedream Reviews

Best Zapier alternatives for technical teams in 2026
Pipedream fits teams that want automation to feel more like a programmable integration layer, especially when engineers want to write logic and work directly with APIs.
Zapier: The $5B unbundling opportunity
Finally, Pipedream focuses on better support for complex Zapier use-cases by providing a platform that software engineers can use to create more technical and nuanced integrations.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Pipedream seems to be a lot more popular than The Things Network. While we know about 51 links to Pipedream, we've tracked only 2 mentions of The Things Network. 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.

The Things Network mentions (2)

  • Dragino LHT-65 usage Question
    I also wired it into both thethingsnetwork.org and datacake.co. Data is flowing, so this morning I put the temp sensor inside the chicken coop. About 100' away. Source: over 4 years ago
  • So many new projects!
    This looks similar to https://thethingsnetwork.org . If, in contrast to The Things Network, you can have automatic global coverage without explicitly peering to the nodes you want to use, this may be a great alternative to The Things Network. Source: over 4 years ago

Pipedream mentions (51)

  • Top AI Integration Platforms for 2026 ๐Ÿค–๐Ÿ’ฅ
    Pipedream: Fast workflows with visual builder and real code. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Convert Office Docs to PDFs Automatically with Foxit PDF Services API
    With our REST APIs, it is now possible for any developer to set up an integration and document workflow using their language of choice. But what about workflow automations? Luckily, this is even simpler (of course, depending on platform) as you can rely on the workflow service to handle a lot the heavy lifting of whatever automation needs you may have. In this blog post, I'm going to demonstrate a workflow making... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Automating and Responding to Sentiment Analysis with Diffbot's Knowledge Graph
    Alright, time to automate this. For my automation, I'll be making use of Pipedream, an incredibly flexible workflow system I've used many times in the past. Here's the entire workflow with each part built out:. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • 5 Side Project Ideas for Developers to Monetize as Micro-SaaS in 2025
    Look at Pipedream (https://pipedream.com/). Itโ€™s a platform that simplifies API integrations and workflows for developers and non-technical users alike. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Is There a Zapier for APIs?
    Https://parabola.io/ https://pipedream.com/ https://autocode.com/ I think the first is no-code while the two others are more like low-code (pipedream free amy be enough for you). - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing The Things Network and Pipedream, you can also consider the following products

Helium HNT - Helium is a global, distributed network of Hotspots that create public, long-range wireless coverage for LoRaWAN-enabled IoT devices.

Zapier - Connect the apps you use everyday to automate your work and be more productive. 1000+ apps and easy integrations - get started in minutes.

ChirpStack - ChirpStack, open-source LoRaWANยฎ Network Server stack

n8n.io - Free and open fair-code licensed node based Workflow Automation Tool. Easily automate tasks across different services.