IoT & Smart Home · head to head
Blynk vs Zigbee Alliance
Blynk
IoT & Smart Home
IoT cloud platform with mobile app builder for connected devices
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Zigbee Alliance
IoT & Smart Home
Low-power wireless standard for IoT and smart home
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
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; Zigbee Alliance the Internet Archive's capture of the Connectivity Standards Alliance's Zigbee page on 4 January 2024 confirmed Zigbee is a protocol standard rather than a purchased product, with the Alliance's revenue coming from member dues and per-device certification fees rather than a software price list.
- They diverge on capability: Blynk covers Mobile App Builder, Zigbee Alliance covers Low Power.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Blynk and Zigbee Alliance actually diverge.
| Attribute | Blynk | Zigbee Alliance |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | open-source |
| Platforms | IOS, Android, Web, Any IoT device | Zigbee devices, Mesh networks, Smart home hubs, IoT platforms |
| Founded | 2012 | 2002 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (IoT & 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
- REST API
- WebHooks
- Mobile app
- Cloud platform
Only in Zigbee Alliance
- Low Power
- Mesh Networking
- Self-Healing
- Scalable
- Smart home devices
- Hubs
- Controllers
- Integration platforms
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 Zigbee Alliance
- Over-the-air firmware updates to fleets of devicesnot Zigbee Alliance
- Automations triggered by device datanot Zigbee Alliance
- White-label device apps for a hardware productnot Zigbee Alliance
- Prototyping connected devices before committing to infrastructurenot Zigbee Alliance
Zigbee Alliance
- Smart lightingnot Blynk
- Sensor networksnot Blynk
- Home automationnot Blynk
- Industrial monitoringnot 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
Zigbee Alliance
- The Internet Archive's capture of the Connectivity Standards Alliance's Zigbee page on 4 January 2024 confirmed Zigbee is a protocol standard rather than a purchased product, with the Alliance's revenue coming from member dues and per-device certification fees rather than a software price list.
Pricing, plan by plan
Blynk
Free- FreeFree
- 5 devices
- Basic widgets
- Cloud sync
- Premium$5/month
- Unlimited devices
- Advanced widgets
- Priority support
Zigbee Alliance
Free- Open SpecificationFree
- Low power mesh
- Self-healing
- Interoperable
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.
Choose Zigbee Alliance if
- You need low power.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Zigbee devices, Mesh networks, Smart home hubs, IoT platforms.
- You also want mesh networking.
Questions people ask
- Is Blynk or Zigbee Alliance better?
- Neither clearly leads. Blynk starts at Free and Zigbee Alliance at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Blynk or Zigbee Alliance?
- Blynk starts at Free and Zigbee Alliance at Free.
- Does Blynk or Zigbee Alliance run on more platforms?
- Blynk runs on IOS, Android, Web, Any IoT device. Zigbee Alliance runs on Zigbee devices, Mesh networks, Smart home hubs, IoT platforms.
- 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 Zigbee Alliance is typically brought in for.
- What can Blynk do that Zigbee Alliance cannot?
- Blynk covers Mobile App Builder, No-Code Interface, Real-Time Control, Cloud Storage. Zigbee Alliance covers Low Power, Mesh Networking, Self-Healing, Scalable.