ioBroker vs ThingsBoard
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted home automation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
ioBroker
Integration platform for the Internet of Things
VS
ThingsBoard
Open-source IoT platform for device management and data
| Feature | ioBroker | ThingsBoard |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Shell | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,373 | ★ 22,200 |
| First released | 2014 | 2017 |
| Replaces | SmartThings, Hubitat | AWS IoT, Azure IoT |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is ioBroker or ThingsBoard better?
Neither is universally better. ThingsBoard has the larger community, while ioBroker is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ioBroker and ThingsBoard free and open-source?
Yes. ioBroker is licensed under MIT and ThingsBoard under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ioBroker and ThingsBoard with Docker?
ioBroker: yes. ThingsBoard: yes.