Particle
Claim this toolAn integrated IoT Platform-as-a-Service for intelligent devices, from hardware to cloud.
From $299/mo, billed monthly (free plan available)Positions Particle holds among the tools of each category it belongs to (Toolradar data, Nov 2026):
- #1 most-listed alternative in IoT Platforms, out of 84 tools in IoT Platforms. Source: Toolradar data, Nov 2026.
- #75 (joint) most-listed alternative in Developer Tools, out of 1853 tools in Developer Tools. Source: Toolradar data, Nov 2026.
- #38 (joint) most-listed alternative in Cloud & Infrastructure, out of 520 tools in Cloud & Infrastructure. Source: Toolradar data, Nov 2026.
The Bottom Line
- Price
- From $299/mo, billed monthly (free plan available). Compare plans
Key facts
- Integrated IoT platform for building, connecting, and managing intelligent devices.
- Provides edge infrastructure, reliable multi-radio connectivity, and cloud services.
- Offers robust security, OTA updates, and developer-friendly tools for rapid deployment.
Pros
- Comprehensive end-to-end IoT solution from hardware to cloud.
- Strong emphasis on security with built-in features and best practices.
- Reliable multi-radio connectivity simplifies global deployments.
- Developer-friendly tools and extensive documentation accelerate development.
- Scalable platform capable of managing millions of messages and updates monthly.
Cons
- Specific pricing details are not immediately available on the main pages.
- Some features like 'Configuration' and 'Insights' are listed as 'COMING SOON'.
- Requires some hardware knowledge for development board integration.
What is Particle?
Available on: Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux
Preview
Key Features
- Over-the-air (OTA) software and model updates
- Multi-radio wireless connectivity (LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi, satellite, LoRaWAN)
- EtherSIM and EtherSIM+ for intelligent profile switching and global connectivity
- Real-time data automation infrastructure (Event Bus, Location Fusion, Ledger, REST API)
- Device management console with security and compliance features
- Built-in hardware and device security (encrypted messages, hardware keys, access controls)
- Developer tools: CLI, Workbench, Web IDE, Blueprints, Edge ML
- Support for various hardware: Particle modules, gateways, Raspberry Pi, NVIDIA Jetson, BeagleBone
Pricing Plans
Pricing checked Oct 27, 2026. Source: particle.io/pricing, read Oct 27, 2026
| Plan | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 / month, forever |
+4 more Show less
|
| Basic | $299 / month per block |
+4 more Show less
|
| Plus | $599 / month per block |
+4 more Show less
|
| Professional | Custom |
+14 more Show less
|
| Enterprise | Custom |
+15 more Show less
|
Included in all plans
- Edge computing
- Runtime OTA software updates
- Drivers and libraries
- Developer tools
- Device protection
- Edge ML
- Reliable messaging over heterogeneous networks
- "It just works" connectivity
- Particle.publish()
- Encryption
- EtherSIM
- Multi-radio transport
- Data pipeline
- Ledger
- Logic
- Location Fusion
- REST API
- Integrations
- Console
- Software releases
- Vitals
- Configuration
- Edge-to-cloud encryption
- Multi-factor authentication
- SOC 2
Is Particle worth the price?
Particle's pricing structure is fair for small-scale IoT projects with its generous Free tier.
However, the jump to the Basic tier at $299/month per block for only 100 devices and 720K data operations can become expensive quickly for growing deployments, especially compared to other IoT platforms. It's best for developers and small businesses starting with IoT, or large enterprises needing custom, high-touch solutions.
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
Rapid scaling of devices/data operations increases cost significantly.
Premium support and connectivity are optional add-ons.
How Particle's pricing compares
Particle starts at $299/mo, billed monthly. Its direct competitors are priced on a different basis (per user, or in another currency), so each entry price below is shown with its own unit and currency and is not ranked against the others.
Entry paid plan, monthly price (billing term shown per row), in each tool's own currency. Pricing checked Oct 27, 2026.
Particle by the numbers
Toolradar data: Particle's entry paid plan ($299/mo, billed monthly) ranks #16 of 17 for price among the IoT Platforms tools with a verified entry price and no stated unit, where the median is $75/mo. It is listed as an alternative to 21 other tools on Toolradar, ranking #1 of 84 in IoT Platforms. As of Nov 2026.
- #1 most-listed alternative in IoT Platforms, out of 84 tools in IoT Platforms. Source: Toolradar data, Nov 2026.
- #75 (joint) most-listed alternative in Developer Tools, out of 1853 tools in Developer Tools. Source: Toolradar data, Nov 2026.
- #38 (joint) most-listed alternative in Cloud & Infrastructure, out of 520 tools in Cloud & Infrastructure. Source: Toolradar data, Nov 2026.
| Metric | Particle | Peer median | Position (1 is best) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | $299/mo, billed monthly | $75/mo | #16 of 17 tools with no stated price unit, verified price |
| Free plan | Yes | 36% have one | n/a |
| Listed as an alternative to | 21 tools | 2 | #1 of 84 |
| Compare-page visits, last 30 days | 38 visits | 38 | #5 of 9 tools with 20+ compare-page visits |
Listed as an alternative to: #1 on 2026-10-16 to #1 on 2026-11-03 (rank among 84 tools, 1 is best).
Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. A lower entry price ranks higher; prices are read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis. All IoT Platforms data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source.
Cite this: Toolradar, “Particle by the numbers”, Nov 2026.
Reviews
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Particle FAQ
How does Particle support the development of connected products?
Which teams benefit most from using Particle?
How does Particle compare to Embedded for IoT development?
What kind of hardware knowledge is necessary to use Particle?
Does Particle include a free tier?
How does Particle ensure the security of connected devices and data?
Can Particle manage a large number of devices and data?
How does Particle pricing compare with other IoT Platforms tools?
Source: particle.io