Balena vs Golioth: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Balena and Golioth side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, Balena leads on higher user rating. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Balena
Powerful IoT device management made simple with secure container-based technology.
Best for you if:
- • You want simplifies complex IoT device management and scaling
Golioth
IoT infrastructure as code for hardware teams, connecting devices and routing data with ease.
Best for you if:
- • You want significantly reduces time and cost for building IoT cloud infrastructure (e.g., 6+ months saved)
| At a Glance | Balena | Golioth |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan, paid from $159/mo, billed monthly Prototype plan | Free plan, one-time packs from $50 |
Category | DevOps Hosting & Deployment | IoT Platforms Cloud & Infrastructure |
Rating | 4.8/5 G2 4.8 24 reviews | 4.5/5 G2 4.4 · Capterra 5.0 67 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | n/a | Connect bills every active device every month. Sleepy sensors still count if they stay connected. |
Choose Balena or Golioth?
Choose Balena if
- You want simplifies complex IoT device management and scaling
- You want strong focus on security and compliance (e.g., CRA)
- You work in DevOps, not IoT platforms
Choose Golioth if
- You want significantly reduces time and cost for building IoT cloud infrastructure (e.g., 6+ months saved)
- You want device, connectivity, and service agnostic, offering flexibility in hardware and RTOS choices
- You work in IoT platforms, not DevOps
In-Depth Analysis
Balena
Powerful IoT device management made simple with secure container-based technology.
Balena's pricing structure is generally fair, offering a free tier for small projects and scaling up with device count.
Strengths
- Pro: Simplifies complex IoT device management and scaling.
- Pro: Strong focus on security and compliance (e.g., CRA).
- Pro: Supports a wide variety of hardware and offers custom device integration.
- Pro: Provides comprehensive tools for development, deployment, and monitoring.
- Pro: Offers a free tier for up to 10 devices, making it accessible for prototyping.
Weaknesses
- Con: Pricing for additional devices can add up quickly, especially for larger fleets beyond the included devices in each plan.
- Con: The 'best effort' response time for standard and priority support tiers might not be sufficient for critical issues.
- Con: Custom device support requires engaging with an Integration Partner and shipping hardware, which adds complexity and time to the setup process for unsupported devices.
Key features
Golioth
IoT infrastructure as code for hardware teams, connecting devices and routing data with ease.
Golioth has no seat SKU.
Watch out
Connect bills every active device every month. Sleepy sensors still count if they stay connected.
Strengths
- Pro: Significantly reduces time and cost for building IoT cloud infrastructure (e.g., 6+ months saved).
- Pro: Device, connectivity, and service agnostic, offering flexibility in hardware and RTOS choices.
- Pro: Built-in security features from day one, including encryption and certificate authentication.
- Pro: Simplifies data routing and transformation with easy-to-configure pipelines.
- Pro: Enables hybrid AI for faster decisions at the edge and continuous model improvement.
Weaknesses
- Con: Additional usage beyond free tiers for OTA bandwidth, logs, and data streaming incurs extra costs.
- Con: Advanced features like custom retention for data storage, advanced permissions, audit logs, SSO, and private cloud are only available in higher-tier or custom plans.
- Con: Community support is the primary option for the free tier, with dedicated support only for paid plans.
Key features
Plans and prices: Balena vs Golioth
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Balena |
| balena.io/pricing read Nov 2, 2026 |
| Golioth |
| golioth.io/pricing read Oct 14, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Balena pricing and Golioth pricing.
Key Takeaways
Balena
- Higher user rating: 4.8/5 vs 4.5/5
Golioth
- Choose if you want IoT infrastructure as code for hardware teams, connecting devices and routing data with ease
What the data shows
On the data below, Balena leads on higher user rating. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- Balena has the higher user rating (4.8/5 from 24 reviews for Balena, 4.5/5 from 67 reviews for Golioth).
- Balena starts at $159/mo, billed monthly; Golioth sells one-time credit packs from $50 (no subscription).
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Balena and Golioth compare in 2026?
On the data below, Balena leads on higher user rating. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. Balena has the higher user rating (4.8/5 from 24 reviews for Balena, 4.5/5 from 67 reviews for Golioth). Balena starts at $159/mo, billed monthly; Golioth sells one-time credit packs from $50 (no subscription). Both have a free plan.
What are Balena and Golioth used for?
Balena: Powerful IoT device management made simple with secure container-based technology. Golioth: IoT infrastructure as code for hardware teams, connecting devices and routing data with ease.
What does Balena cost vs Golioth?
Balena's cheapest paid plan is Prototype at $159/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Golioth sells one-time credit packs from $50 (no subscription). Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Nov 2, 2026.
What's the main difference between Balena and Golioth?
Balena's main strength: simplifies complex IoT device management and scaling. Golioth's main strength: significantly reduces time and cost for building IoT cloud infrastructure (e.g., 6+ months saved).