Softwr

Smart Home · head to head

Crestron vs Particle

Crestron logo

Crestron

Smart Home

Enterprise-grade control and automation technology

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Particle logo

Particle

Smart Home

Edge-to-cloud IoT platform for connected devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Particle has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Crestron no published pricing or pricing tiers; no specific product prices disclosed.; Particle paid capacity is sold in blocks of 100 devices rather than per device, so 101 devices costs the same as 200
  • They diverge on capability: Crestron covers Enterprise Control, Particle covers Device OS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Crestron and Particle actually diverge.

Attributes where Crestron and Particle differ
AttributeCrestronParticle
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsControl systems, Mobile apps, Web interfaces, Touch screensParticle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps
Founded19712013

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (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 Crestron

  • Enterprise Control
  • Powerful Programming
  • Extensive Integration
  • Reliability
  • 5000+ devices
  • Custom protocols
  • Web/Mobile apps
  • Touch panels

Only in Particle

  • Device OS
  • Cloud Platform
  • Device Management
  • OTA Updates
  • REST API
  • WebHooks
  • Integration marketplace
  • 3rd party services

Both cover

  • Mobile apps support

What people use each for

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

Crestron

  • Conference room automationnot Particle
  • Building managementnot Particle
  • Campus-wide controlnot Particle
  • Corporate AVnot Particle

Particle

  • Connecting cellular and wifi IoT devices to a managed cloud platformnot Crestron
  • Deploying firmware updates and collecting device telemetry at fleet scalenot Crestron

Where each one falls short

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

Crestron

  • No published pricing or pricing tiers; no specific product prices disclosed.
  • The pricing page only announces a 10% global price increase effective March 1, 2022, without listing actual prices.

Particle

  • Paid capacity is sold in blocks of 100 devices rather than per device, so 101 devices costs the same as 200
  • The Basic block is $299 a month and the Plus block $599 a month
  • The free tier allows 100 devices and 100,000 data operations a month
  • Data operations are the billing unit, so chatty firmware costs more than the device count suggests
  • No overage rates are published at any tier, so exceeding an allowance has no stated cost

Pricing, plan by plan

Crestron

On request
  • Professional$1000/month
    • Programming tools
    • Device control
    • Advanced features
  • Enterprise$10000/month
    • Large deployments
    • Custom solutions
    • Enterprise support

Particle

Free
  • MakerFree
    • 5 free devices
    • Cloud access
    • Basic features
  • Production$100/month
    • Unlimited devices
    • Advanced analytics
    • Enterprise support

Which should you pick?

Choose Crestron if

  • You need enterprise control.
  • You work on Control systems, Mobile apps, Web interfaces, Touch screens.
  • You also want powerful programming.
Crestron review

Choose Particle if

  • You need device os.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Particle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps.
  • You also want cloud platform.
Particle review

Questions people ask

Is Crestron or Particle better?
Neither clearly leads. Crestron starts at On request and Particle at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Crestron or Particle?
Particle has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Crestron and Free for Particle.
Does Crestron or Particle run on more platforms?
Crestron runs on Control systems, Mobile apps, Web interfaces, Touch screens. Particle runs on Particle devices, Custom hardware, Cloud, Mobile apps.
Can I use Particle for free?
Yes. Particle has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Crestron starts at On request.
What is Crestron best used for?
Crestron is most often used for conference room automation, building management, campus-wide control, corporate av. Of those, conference room automation and building management are not what Particle is typically brought in for.
What can Crestron do that Particle cannot?
Crestron covers Enterprise Control, Powerful Programming, Extensive Integration, Reliability. Particle covers Device OS, Cloud Platform, Device Management, OTA Updates. Both handle Mobile apps support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Crestron: How much do Crestron products cost?

Crestron does not publish specific product pricing or pricing tiers on their website. Customers must contact Crestron directly for pricing information on AV control systems and related products.

Source
Particle: What are the Particle pricing tiers and their costs?

Particle offers Free ($0, 100 devices, 100K Data Operations/month), Basic ($299/month per block), Plus ($599/month per block), Professional (custom pricing), and Enterprise (custom pricing). Each block supports 100 devices.

Source
Crestron: What was Crestron's most recent price change?

Crestron implemented a 10% global price increase effective March 1, 2022 on all products and services. Orders placed before March 1, 2022 that shipped by December 31, 2022 were honored at prior pricing. No retroactive increases applied to existing orders.

Source
Particle: What is a Data Operation and how is it charged?

A Data Operation is Particle's billing unit for user-controlled activities. One operation is charged per device-to-cloud message, cloud-to-device message, Location Fusion call, Ledger sync, or Logic function run. Network transmission and management tasks are included at no additional cost.

Source
Particle: What location data retention does each tier provide?

Location data retention ranges from 3 days in the Free tier up to 6+ months in Professional and Enterprise tiers.

Source
Particle: Are there additional costs for support or single sign-on?

Premium support and SSO are available as optional add-ons to all Particle plans. The pricing page does not specify the cost of these add-ons.

Source
Particle: Is there a minimum contract length or can I cancel anytime?

The Particle pricing page does not specify a minimum contract length, suggesting monthly billing without long-term lock-in.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Crestron

More on Particle

Keep looking

Other head to heads