Softwr

Smart Home · head to head

Blynk vs Particle

Blynk logo

Blynk

Smart Home

IoT cloud platform with mobile app builder for connected devices

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: Blynk the free tier covers 5 devices, 1 user, 100,000 messages and one week 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: Blynk covers Mobile App Builder, Particle covers Device OS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blynk and Particle actually diverge.

Attributes where Blynk and Particle differ
AttributeBlynkParticle
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsIOS, Android, Web, Any IoT deviceParticle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps
Founded20122013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Blynk

  • Mobile App Builder
  • No-Code Interface
  • Real-Time Control
  • Cloud Storage
  • Mobile app
  • Cloud platform
  • IOS support
  • Android support

Only in Particle

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

Both cover

  • REST API
  • WebHooks

What people use each for

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

Blynk

  • Connecting IoT hardware to a hosted dashboard and mobile appnot Particle
  • Over-the-air firmware updates to fleets of devicesnot Particle
  • Automations triggered by device datanot Particle
  • White-label device apps for a hardware productnot Particle
  • Prototyping connected devices before committing to infrastructurenot Particle

Particle

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

Where each one falls short

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

Blynk

  • The free tier covers 5 devices, 1 user, 100,000 messages and one week of data retention
  • Data retention is tiered all the way up, reaching 12 months only on Enterprise
  • Automations and webhooks are rationed, from 5 scenarios and 1 webhook on free to 100 or more on Production
  • Over-the-air update campaigns are capped by tier, at 2 shipments on free and Starter
  • Production plans run from $199 to $1,099 a month depending on device count

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

Blynk

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5 devices, 1 user
    • 1 week data retention
    • 100,000 messages/month
  • Starter$29/month
    • 10 devices, 1 user
    • 1 month data retention
    • 10,000,000 messages/month
  • Prototype$99/month
    • 50 devices and users
    • 6 months data retention
    • Unlimited messages/month
  • Production$199/month
    • 100-1000 devices and users
    • 12 months data retention
    • Unlimited messages/month

Particle

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Blynk if

  • You need mobile app builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on IOS, Android, Web, Any IoT device.
  • You also want no-code interface.
Blynk 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 Blynk or Particle better?
Neither clearly leads. Blynk 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, Blynk or Particle?
Blynk starts at Free and Particle at Free.
Does Blynk or Particle run on more platforms?
Blynk runs on IOS, Android, Web, Any IoT device. Particle runs on Particle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps.
Can I use Blynk for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Blynk best used for?
Blynk is most often used for connecting iot hardware to a hosted dashboard and mobile app, over-the-air firmware updates to fleets of devices, automations triggered by device data, white-label device apps for a hardware product. Of those, connecting iot hardware to a hosted dashboard and mobile app and over-the-air firmware updates to fleets of devices are not what Particle is typically brought in for.
What can Blynk do that Particle cannot?
Blynk covers Mobile App Builder, No-Code Interface, Real-Time Control, Cloud Storage. Particle covers Device OS, Cloud Platform, Device Management, OTA Updates. Both handle REST API, WebHooks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Blynk: How much does Blynk cost?

Free plan available; Starter is $29/month; Prototype is $99/month; Production ranges $199-1,099/month; Enterprise has custom pricing.

Source
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
Blynk: What device and user limits does Blynk have?

Free plan supports 5 devices and 1 user. Starter supports 10 devices and 1 user. Prototype supports 50 devices and users. Production supports 100-1,000 devices and users. Enterprise offers custom limits.

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
Blynk: How long does Blynk retain data?

Free plan retains data for 1 week. Starter for 1 month. Prototype for 6 months. Production for 12 months. Enterprise can customize retention period.

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
Blynk: What message limits apply to Blynk plans?

Free plan includes 100,000 messages/month. Starter allows 10 million messages/month. Prototype and Production tiers include unlimited messages.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Blynk

More on Particle

Keep looking

Other head to heads