Softwr

IoT & Smart Home · head to head

Losant vs MQTT

Losant logo

Losant

IoT & Smart Home

Cloud-based IoT platform with visualization and workflow automation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MQTT logo

MQTT

IoT & Smart Home

Lightweight messaging protocol for IoT devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Losant no pricing is published at any tier, and the pricing page is a survey form rather than a rate card; MQTT mQTT is an OASIS standard messaging protocol maintained by a standards committee, not sold by a vendor; there is no company-controlled price list, subscription, or edition to compare because implementations are independent open source or commercial products built on the spec
  • They diverge on capability: Losant covers Device Connectivity, MQTT covers Publish-Subscribe.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Losant and MQTT actually diverge.

Attributes where Losant and MQTT differ
AttributeLosantMQTT
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
PlatformsCloud, Mobile app, Web dashboard, Device integrationAny platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing
Founded20141999

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 Losant

  • Device Connectivity
  • Data Visualization
  • Workflow Engine
  • REST API
  • Mobile app
  • Dashboard builder
  • Alert system
  • Data export

Only in MQTT

  • Publish-Subscribe
  • Lightweight
  • QoS Levels
  • Retained Messages
  • IoT platforms
  • Home automation
  • Cloud services
  • Edge devices

Both cover

  • Cloud support

What people use each for

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

Losant

  • Building IoT applications with device management and visual workflowsnot MQTT
  • Collecting and acting on telemetry from connected equipmentnot MQTT

MQTT

  • IoT messagingnot Losant
  • Sensor datanot Losant
  • Real-time updatesnot Losant
  • Device telemetrynot Losant

Where each one falls short

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

Losant

  • No pricing is published at any tier, and the pricing page is a survey form rather than a rate card
  • Device counts, data retention and payload allowances are all quoted rather than listed

MQTT

  • MQTT is an OASIS standard messaging protocol maintained by a standards committee, not sold by a vendor; there is no company-controlled price list, subscription, or edition to compare because implementations are independent open source or commercial products built on the spec

Pricing, plan by plan

Losant

Free
  • SandboxFree
    • Limited devices
    • Basic features
    • Community support
  • Enterprise$500/month
    • Unlimited devices
    • Advanced analytics
    • Premium support

MQTT

Free
  • Open ProtocolFree
    • Publish-subscribe
    • Lightweight
    • QoS levels

Which should you pick?

Choose Losant if

  • You need device connectivity.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Mobile app, Web dashboard, Device integration.
  • You also want data visualization.
Losant review

Choose MQTT if

  • You need publish-subscribe.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Any platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing.
  • You also want lightweight.
MQTT review

Questions people ask

Is Losant or MQTT better?
Neither clearly leads. Losant starts at Free and MQTT at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Losant or MQTT?
Losant starts at Free and MQTT at Free.
Does Losant or MQTT run on more platforms?
Losant runs on Cloud, Mobile app, Web dashboard, Device integration. MQTT runs on Any platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing.
Can I use Losant for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Losant best used for?
Losant is most often used for building iot applications with device management and visual workflows, collecting and acting on telemetry from connected equipment. Of those, building iot applications with device management and visual workflows and collecting and acting on telemetry from connected equipment are not what MQTT is typically brought in for.
What can Losant do that MQTT cannot?
Losant covers Device Connectivity, Data Visualization, Workflow Engine, REST API. MQTT covers Publish-Subscribe, Lightweight, QoS Levels, Retained Messages. Both handle Cloud support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Losant

More on MQTT

Keep looking

Other head to heads