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Networking · head to head

Eclipse Mosquitto vs Shelly

Eclipse Mosquitto logo

Eclipse Mosquitto

Networking

Small, EPL-licensed MQTT broker that runs on hardware other brokers cannot

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: Eclipse Mosquitto there is no clustering: Mosquitto is a single process, so high availability means building your own failover and accepting session loss on switchover.; Shelly premium features limited to cloud-based functionality; local control requires separate setup
  • They diverge on capability: Eclipse Mosquitto covers MQTT 5.0 support, Shelly covers Local Control.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Eclipse Mosquitto and Shelly actually diverge.

Attributes where Eclipse Mosquitto and Shelly differ
AttributeEclipse MosquittoShelly
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeUnknown
PlatformsLinux, Windows, macOS, DockerWeb, 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 Eclipse Mosquitto

  • MQTT 5.0 support
  • Very small footprint
  • Bridging
  • WebSockets listener
  • Command line clients
  • Dynamic security plugin

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.

Eclipse Mosquitto

  • A home or building automation stack where the broker must run on the same small computer as everything elsenot Shelly
  • An industrial gateway that buffers local telemetry and bridges selected topics to a cloud brokernot Shelly
  • Local development and testing of MQTT clients without provisioning a cloud IoT servicenot Shelly
  • An air-gapped deployment where a broker with no licence server and no phone-home behaviour is a requirementnot Shelly

Shelly

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

Where each one falls short

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

Eclipse Mosquitto

  • There is no clustering: Mosquitto is a single process, so high availability means building your own failover and accepting session loss on switchover.
  • Persistence is a local file rather than a replicated store, so a disk failure or an unclean shutdown can lose retained messages and queued QoS traffic.
  • Practical capacity is a few thousand concurrent clients on typical hardware, so a growing device fleet eventually forces a migration to a clustered broker.
  • The Eclipse Public Licence is weak copyleft rather than permissive, which some legal teams treat as a blocker when embedding the broker in a shipped commercial product.
  • There is no commercial support to buy from the project, so production incidents rely on community mailing lists or on paying a third party who happens to know the codebase.

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

Eclipse Mosquitto

Free
  • Eclipse MosquittoFree
    • Eclipse Public License 2.0 with Eclipse Distribution Licence
    • MQTT 5.0, 3.1.1 and 3.1
    • No client or message limits beyond your hardware

Shelly

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Shelly review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Eclipse Mosquitto if

  • You need mqtt 5.0 support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker.
  • You also want very small footprint.
Eclipse Mosquitto 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 Eclipse Mosquitto or Shelly better?
Neither clearly leads. Eclipse Mosquitto 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, Eclipse Mosquitto or Shelly?
Eclipse Mosquitto starts at Free and Shelly at Free.
Does Eclipse Mosquitto or Shelly run on more platforms?
Eclipse Mosquitto runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker. Shelly runs on Web, Mobile app, Cloud, Local network.
Can I use Eclipse Mosquitto for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Eclipse Mosquitto best used for?
Eclipse Mosquitto is most often used for a home or building automation stack where the broker must run on the same small computer as everything else, an industrial gateway that buffers local telemetry and bridges selected topics to a cloud broker, local development and testing of mqtt clients without provisioning a cloud iot service, an air-gapped deployment where a broker with no licence server and no phone-home behaviour is a requirement. Of those, a home or building automation stack where the broker must run on the same small computer as everything else and an industrial gateway that buffers local telemetry and bridges selected topics to a cloud broker are not what Shelly is typically brought in for.
What can Eclipse Mosquitto do that Shelly cannot?
Eclipse Mosquitto covers MQTT 5.0 support, Very small footprint, Bridging, WebSockets listener. Shelly covers Local Control, Open API, MQTT Support, Energy Monitoring.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Eclipse Mosquitto: Can Mosquitto be clustered?

No. It is a single process. High availability requires an external failover arrangement you build yourself.

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
Eclipse Mosquitto: What licence is it?

Eclipse Public License 2.0 alongside the Eclipse Distribution License, a weak copyleft rather than a permissive licence.

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
Eclipse Mosquitto: How many clients can it handle?

A few thousand concurrent connections on ordinary hardware; beyond that, use a clustered broker.

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
Eclipse Mosquitto: Does it support MQTT 5?

Yes, along with 3.1.1 and 3.1.

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