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Arduino Cloud vs Particle

Arduino Cloud logo

Arduino Cloud

Smart Home

Cloud platform for Arduino IoT devices and applications

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Particle logo

Particle

Smart Home

Edge-to-cloud IoT platform for connected devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Arduino Cloud the free plan allows 2 connected devices, 5 variables each and one day of data retention; Particle paid capacity is sold in blocks of 100 devices rather than per device, so 101 devices costs the same as 200
  • They diverge on capability: Arduino Cloud covers Device Connectivity, Particle covers Device OS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arduino Cloud and Particle actually diverge.

Attributes where Arduino Cloud and Particle differ
AttributeArduino CloudParticle
PlatformsArduino devices, Cloud, Mobile app, Web dashboardParticle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps
Founded20052013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Smart Home).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Arduino Cloud

  • Device Connectivity
  • Cloud Storage
  • Real-Time Sync
  • Security
  • Arduino IDE
  • Mobile app
  • Integration services
  • Arduino devices support

Only in Particle

  • Device OS
  • Cloud Platform
  • Device Management
  • OTA Updates
  • WebHooks
  • Integration marketplace
  • 3rd party services
  • Particle devices support

Both cover

  • REST API
  • Cloud support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Arduino Cloud

  • Connecting Arduino boards to a cloud dashboardnot Particle
  • Over-the-air firmware updates to deployed devicesnot Particle
  • Logging sensor data and charting it over timenot Particle
  • Triggering notifications from device thresholdsnot Particle
  • Classroom IoT projects on the School plannot Particle

Particle

  • Connecting cellular and wifi IoT devices to a managed cloud platformnot Arduino Cloud
  • Deploying firmware updates and collecting device telemetry at fleet scalenot Arduino Cloud

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Arduino Cloud

  • The free plan allows 2 connected devices, 5 variables each and one day of data retention
  • Free accounts are limited to 25 compilations a day and 10 trigger notifications a day
  • The Maker plan at $72 a year lifts devices to 25 and retention to 3 months, still for a single user
  • Team pricing jumps to $1,000 a year
  • Two years of data retention and unlimited ingestion require Enterprise

Particle

  • Paid capacity is sold in blocks of 100 devices rather than per device, so 101 devices costs the same as 200
  • The Basic block is $299 a month and the Plus block $599 a month
  • The free tier allows 100 devices and 100,000 data operations a month
  • Data operations are the billing unit, so chatty firmware costs more than the device count suggests
  • No overage rates are published at any tier, so exceeding an allowance has no stated cost

Pricing, plan by plan

Arduino Cloud

Free
  • MakerFree
    • 2 devices
    • Basic features
    • Cloud access
  • Maker Plus$7/month
    • Up to 10 devices
    • Advanced features
    • Better storage

Particle

Free
  • MakerFree
    • 5 free devices
    • Cloud access
    • Basic features
  • Production$100/month
    • Unlimited devices
    • Advanced analytics
    • Enterprise support

Which should you pick?

Choose Arduino Cloud if

  • You need device connectivity.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Arduino devices, Cloud, Mobile app, Web dashboard.
  • You also want cloud storage.
Arduino Cloud review

Choose Particle if

  • You need device os.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Particle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps.
  • You also want cloud platform.
Particle review

Questions people ask

Is Arduino Cloud or Particle better?
Neither clearly leads. Arduino Cloud starts at Free and Particle at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arduino Cloud or Particle?
Arduino Cloud starts at Free and Particle at Free.
Does Arduino Cloud or Particle run on more platforms?
Arduino Cloud runs on Arduino devices, Cloud, Mobile app, Web dashboard. Particle runs on Particle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps.
Can I use Arduino Cloud for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Arduino Cloud best used for?
Arduino Cloud is most often used for connecting arduino boards to a cloud dashboard, over-the-air firmware updates to deployed devices, logging sensor data and charting it over time, triggering notifications from device thresholds. Of those, connecting arduino boards to a cloud dashboard and over-the-air firmware updates to deployed devices are not what Particle is typically brought in for.
What can Arduino Cloud do that Particle cannot?
Arduino Cloud covers Device Connectivity, Cloud Storage, Real-Time Sync, Security. Particle covers Device OS, Cloud Platform, Device Management, OTA Updates. Both handle REST API, Cloud support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Particle: What are the Particle pricing tiers and their costs?

Particle offers Free ($0, 100 devices, 100K Data Operations/month), Basic ($299/month per block), Plus ($599/month per block), Professional (custom pricing), and Enterprise (custom pricing). Each block supports 100 devices.

Source
Particle: What is a Data Operation and how is it charged?

A Data Operation is Particle's billing unit for user-controlled activities. One operation is charged per device-to-cloud message, cloud-to-device message, Location Fusion call, Ledger sync, or Logic function run. Network transmission and management tasks are included at no additional cost.

Source
Particle: What location data retention does each tier provide?

Location data retention ranges from 3 days in the Free tier up to 6+ months in Professional and Enterprise tiers.

Source
Particle: Are there additional costs for support or single sign-on?

Premium support and SSO are available as optional add-ons to all Particle plans. The pricing page does not specify the cost of these add-ons.

Source
Particle: Is there a minimum contract length or can I cancel anytime?

The Particle pricing page does not specify a minimum contract length, suggesting monthly billing without long-term lock-in.

Source
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