Datacake vs ThingsBoard

Datacake and ThingsBoard both give you a free tier for 5 devices, and then they part ways. Datacake is a German GmbH that bundles a LoRaWAN network server with its device templates and decoders, and sells flat euro plans that climb in device bands. ThingsBoard is a wider ladder, from a free cloud plan through private cloud to on-premises and perpetual licences, but it names no home country, and its current code carries a Business Source License. Datacake never says where it hosts, while ThingsBoard states cloud regions in the EU and North America.

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Both are reviewed in full in our iot platform ranking: Datacake and ThingsBoard.

1. 01

   A 25-device Hobby plan against a 50-device Prototype plan

   Datacake lists Hobby at EUR 25 a month for up to 25 devices with one year of retention, then Light at EUR 159 for 50 devices, Standard at EUR 399 for 200 and Plus at EUR 659 for 1,000, excluding VAT. ThingsBoard Cloud lists Prototype at $49 for 50 devices, Pilot at $149 for 100, Startup at $399 for 500 and Business at $749 for 1,000. At 50 devices ThingsBoard is clearly the cheaper of the two.

   Edge: ThingsBoard

2. 02

   Where the servers sit and who runs them

   ThingsBoard says it runs cloud servers with an uptime SLA, stores data in the EU or North America, and also lets you host it in your own cloud, data centre or air-gapped site. Datacake never describes its hosting model on the pages we read, and whether a private option exists is not stated. A buyer with regulated data can settle this with ThingsBoard from its pages, while Datacake needs a direct question to the vendor first, ideally before any data is sent.

   Edge: ThingsBoard

3. 03

   Free for five devices, then what

   Both open with five devices at no charge. Datacake's pricing page heads the offer First 5 Devices Free with no credit card needed, and its homepage adds a free LoRaWAN network server with no per-gateway fees. ThingsBoard's Free cloud plan covers 5 devices and 1M data points with no time limit and community support, and an on-premises Free tier covers 100 devices. ThingsBoard offers more room for a hobby build, while Datacake bundles the LoRaWAN server.

   Depends on the buyer

4. 04

   Templates, decoders and widgets

   Datacake names 400+ device templates from 124+ manufacturers, each with its decoder, so a known sensor reaches a dashboard without a custom parser. ThingsBoard names 600+ ready-made dashboard widgets, OTA updates to a whole device profile, an IoT Gateway for 25+ industrial protocols over MQTT and a plain-language prompt that wires devices, dashboards and rules. Datacake is faster for a catalogue sensor, and ThingsBoard reaches further into industrial protocols, so the sensor you own decides this round.

   Edge: Datacake

5. 05

   Source code and the licence question

   ThingsBoard's GitHub repository uses Business Source License 1.1 from version 4.4, which the vendor calls source-available, while versions before 4.4 remain Apache 2.0. That matters if you plan to fork or resell. Datacake states no open-source licence on its homepage and is described only as a commercial subscription. Neither is a permissive open-source choice for current code, so neither wins this round on terms alone, though ThingsBoard does at least let you read its code, which Datacake does not state.

   Depends on the buyer

6. 06

   The company behind each product

   Datacake's imprint names DATACAKE GmbH at an address in Vreden, with register number HRB16987, two named managing directors and a footer reading Engineered in Germany. It states no parent company. ThingsBoard's footer reads The ThingsBoard Authors and gives no legal entity, its home country never appears, and its terms page was missing (a 404) when we read the site, which leaves legal details unclear. Whoever must sign a contract and name a counterparty will find Datacake the clearer of the two.

   Edge: Datacake

Is the ThingsBoard code still Apache 2.0?

Only for versions before 4.4, which remain under Apache 2.0 according to the GitHub repository. From version 4.4 the code uses Business Source License 1.1, which the vendor calls source-available. Check which version you deploy before building a product on it.

Does Datacake charge per message or per device?

Its plans are flat monthly fees that step up by device band, not per message or per device. Hobby covers up to 25 devices, Light 50, Standard 200 and Plus 1,000, and every plan includes unlimited users. Above 1,000 devices the price comes from sales.

Can I try ThingsBoard Private Cloud before paying?

No, the pricing page says no trial is offered for Private Cloud, which starts at $1,499 a month for 5,000 devices. A ten percent discount applies to annual payment. Trials for other paid subscriptions are available by contacting sales.

• Datacake pricing page: four euro device-band plans, yearly billing at eleven times monthly, unlimited users and the free first five devices.
• Datacake homepage: 400+ templates with decoders, the free LoRaWAN network server, MQTT and webhook export.
• Datacake imprint: GmbH name, Vreden address, register number and no stated parent.
• ThingsBoard pricing page: cloud, Private Cloud and on-premises price ladders, the Free plan terms and the no-trial note.
• ThingsBoard homepage: EU and North America regions, self-hosting options, 600+ widgets and the 25-protocol gateway.
• ThingsBoard GitHub repository: Business Source License 1.1 from version 4.4 and Apache 2.0 before it.