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Networking · head to head

HiveMQ vs Shelly

HiveMQ logo

HiveMQ

Networking

Enterprise MQTT broker for industrial IoT with a published self-managed price list

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shelly logo

Shelly

Smart Home

Powerful WiFi smart home devices with local control

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: HiveMQ the Community Edition lacks clustering, persistence extensions, the control centre and all enterprise bridges, so a prototype built on it does not become production by buying support.; Shelly premium features limited to cloud-based functionality; local control requires separate setup
  • They diverge on capability: HiveMQ covers MQTT 5 and 3.1.1, Shelly covers Local Control.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HiveMQ and Shelly actually diverge.

Attributes where HiveMQ and Shelly differ
AttributeHiveMQShelly
Pricing modelPer month by connections and throughputUnknown
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, WebWeb, Mobile app, Cloud, Local network
CategoryNetworkingSmart Home
FoundedUnknown2016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 HiveMQ

  • MQTT 5 and 3.1.1
  • Native clustering
  • Data Hub
  • Extension framework
  • Enterprise bridges
  • Control centre

Only in Shelly

  • Local Control
  • Open API
  • MQTT Support
  • Energy Monitoring
  • Home Assistant
  • Alexa
  • Google Home
  • SmartThings

What people use each for

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

HiveMQ

  • A connected vehicle fleet where devices drop off the network for hours and sessions must survivenot Shelly
  • An industrial plant bridging MQTT telemetry into Kafka without writing and operating the bridgenot Shelly
  • A utility that needs message-level schema validation so one faulty firmware release cannot corrupt the data lakenot Shelly
  • An IoT project that needs a self-managed broker price for a budget submission without entering a sales processnot Shelly

Shelly

  • Smart home automation and controlnot HiveMQ
  • Energy monitoring and managementnot HiveMQ
  • WiFi/Bluetooth/Matter device integrationnot HiveMQ

Where each one falls short

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

HiveMQ

  • The Community Edition lacks clustering, persistence extensions, the control centre and all enterprise bridges, so a prototype built on it does not become production by buying support.
  • The entry commercial tiers cap at ten thousand connections, and device fleets grow, so the step to Enterprise capacity pricing arrives sooner than most projects plan for.
  • It is a JVM application, so memory tuning and garbage collection behaviour become the operator’s problem at high connection counts, unlike the C-based brokers in this space.
  • Extensions are written in Java against HiveMQ’s SPI, which means custom authentication logic is locked to the platform and cannot move to another broker.
  • For simple use cases it is substantially heavier and more expensive than Mosquitto or EMQX, and small deployments frequently pay enterprise prices for clustering they never use.

Shelly

  • Premium features limited to cloud-based functionality; local control requires separate setup
  • Device-specific capabilities vary; not all features available across entire product range

Pricing, plan by plan

HiveMQ

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Apache 2.0 licence
    • MQTT 3.1.1 and 5 support
    • Single broker, no clustering
  • Launch$299/month
    • Ten thousand connections
    • Five hundred messages per second
    • Single broker deployment
  • Run$499/month
    • Ten thousand connections
    • One thousand messages per second
    • Single broker deployment
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Priced by connections and throughput
    • Multi-broker and multi-site deployments
    • Distributed data intelligence

Shelly

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Shelly review.

Which should you pick?

Choose HiveMQ if

  • You need mqtt 5 and 3.1.1.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web.
  • You also want native clustering.
HiveMQ review

Choose Shelly if

  • You need local control.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, Cloud, Local network.
  • You also want open api.
Shelly review

Questions people ask

Is HiveMQ or Shelly better?
Neither clearly leads. HiveMQ starts at Free and Shelly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HiveMQ or Shelly?
HiveMQ starts at Free and Shelly at Free.
Does HiveMQ or Shelly run on more platforms?
HiveMQ runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Web. Shelly runs on Web, Mobile app, Cloud, Local network.
Can I use HiveMQ for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is HiveMQ best used for?
HiveMQ is most often used for a connected vehicle fleet where devices drop off the network for hours and sessions must survive, an industrial plant bridging mqtt telemetry into kafka without writing and operating the bridge, a utility that needs message-level schema validation so one faulty firmware release cannot corrupt the data lake, an iot project that needs a self-managed broker price for a budget submission without entering a sales process. Of those, a connected vehicle fleet where devices drop off the network for hours and sessions must survive and an industrial plant bridging mqtt telemetry into kafka without writing and operating the bridge are not what Shelly is typically brought in for.
What can HiveMQ do that Shelly cannot?
HiveMQ covers MQTT 5 and 3.1.1, Native clustering, Data Hub, Extension framework. Shelly covers Local Control, Open API, MQTT Support, Energy Monitoring.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HiveMQ: Is HiveMQ free?

The Community Edition is Apache 2.0 and free, but it has no clustering and none of the enterprise extensions.

Shelly: Does Shelly offer a free tier or paid premium service?

Shelly offers a free service with an option to upgrade. The site mentions Go Premium in the Shelly app, which provides more automation and control capabilities. A Shelly Cloud Premium Voucher is available for purchase.

Source
HiveMQ: What does the commercial version cost?

Self-managed Launch is 299 US dollars a month for ten thousand connections; Run is 499 with higher throughput.

Shelly: What is the difference between free Shelly and Shelly Cloud Premium?

The free version provides basic functionality, while Premium unlocks more automation options and additional control features. Specific pricing for Premium is not disclosed on the homepage.

Source
HiveMQ: Does it support MQTT 5?

Yes, both MQTT 5 and 3.1.1, including shared subscriptions and session expiry intervals.

Shelly: Can I purchase Shelly Cloud Premium directly?

Yes. Shelly Cloud Premium Vouchers are available for purchase through the Shelly shop. Pricing details are available on the product shop page.

Source
HiveMQ: Can it bridge into Kafka?

Yes, via a commercial enterprise extension, not in the Community Edition.

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