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IoT & Smart Home · head to head

MQTT vs Blynk

MQTT logo

MQTT

IoT & Smart Home

Lightweight messaging protocol for IoT devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Blynk logo

Blynk

IoT & Smart Home

IoT cloud platform with mobile app builder for connected devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; Blynk the free tier covers 5 devices, 1 user, 100,000 messages and one week of data retention
  • They diverge on capability: MQTT covers Publish-Subscribe, Blynk covers Mobile App Builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MQTT and Blynk actually diverge.

Attributes where MQTT and Blynk differ
AttributeMQTTBlynk
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsAny platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computingIOS, Android, Web, Any IoT device
Founded19992012

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 MQTT

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

Only in Blynk

  • Mobile App Builder
  • No-Code Interface
  • Real-Time Control
  • Cloud Storage
  • REST API
  • WebHooks
  • Mobile app
  • Cloud platform

What people use each for

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

MQTT

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

Blynk

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Pricing, plan by plan

MQTT

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

Blynk

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5 devices
    • Basic widgets
    • Cloud sync
  • Premium$5/month
    • Unlimited devices
    • Advanced widgets
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

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

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

Questions people ask

Is MQTT or Blynk better?
Neither clearly leads. MQTT starts at Free and Blynk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MQTT or Blynk?
MQTT starts at Free and Blynk at Free.
Does MQTT or Blynk run on more platforms?
MQTT runs on Any platform, Embedded devices, Cloud, Edge computing. Blynk runs on IOS, Android, Web, Any IoT device.
Can I use MQTT for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is MQTT best used for?
MQTT is most often used for iot messaging, sensor data, real-time updates, device telemetry. Of those, iot messaging and sensor data are not what Blynk is typically brought in for.
What can MQTT do that Blynk cannot?
MQTT covers Publish-Subscribe, Lightweight, QoS Levels, Retained Messages. Blynk covers Mobile App Builder, No-Code Interface, Real-Time Control, Cloud Storage.
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