4 Best IoT Platforms & Tools With Comparison

Here’s an in-depth comparison of the 4 Best IoT Platforms That You Should Watch Out in 2024

With the increase in demand for different IoT products, many IoT platforms and tools are also coming up. However, with so many options available today, it sometimes becomes quite difficult to choose from the best ones.

When you talk about the best options, a few names that surely come into your mind are Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, and Particle.

However, it is always a great idea to know a bit about these IoT platforms before comparing.

1. Google Cloud IoT Core:

Google is not just an information searching tool today. It has also become one of the best IoT platforms today that several professionals rely upon. It comes with a 3-layers infrastructure and helps in professional efficiency to the organisations. It comes with a list of efficient features too.

● Real-time insights for business operations

● Globally dispersed across diverse devices

● Strong capabilities of artificial intelligence

● Location intelligence support

● Cloud services at a minimum cost

Due to all such features, the Google Cloud IoT Core Platform does not just enhance the work rate of the devices but also helps speed up the activities in the organisation.

2. Microsoft Azure IoT Suite

When you are talking about the best IoT platform options, not mentioning Microsoft will be unfair. It is an open-source cloud platform that has offered convenience to many organisations and business houses by now. The best part about Azure IoT is that it is perfect for a wide number of industries and sectors such as manufacturing, transportation, and many others. Thus, it is known to offer solutions to diverse areas due to its amazing features.

● Registers all the devices instantly and offers a unique identity to all the different devices registered on the platform.

● The cloud-based dashboard allows data updates from diverse devices in real-time.

● It also features real-time analytics streaming that enhances the decision-making of the users and organisation.

● Continuous data analysis through the platform helps in actionable insights

● The feature of the remote monitoring solution in the platform helps in tracking all the connected devices.

3. Particle:

Particle offers different IoT tools for different purposes such as hardware, apps, device cloud, and connectivity. This platform comes along with a vast number of products, and these are Wi-Fi, device OS, device cloud, and many others that are extremely helpful for organisations today. The platform Particle also comes up with a vast number of features.

● Offers a stable and reliable infrastructure

● The structure and the functioning are simple so that anyone can use it without any technical expertise or training

● It features a firewall-protected cloud so that you can safely work with your data on this platform

● Integration of Particle with any other platform or system is quite convenient

4. Amazon AWS IoT Platform:

After Microsoft Azure IoT, another name that has become very popular these days in terms of top IoT platforms is Amazon AWS. This is a cloud service that enables connecting all types of devices to the cloud to bring efficiency and smoothly at work. Not only does it enable connecting of diverse devices with the cloud, but it also allows the devices to communicate with other devices or apps for an enhanced experience. Apart from its main functioning. Amazon AWS also offers support for some options such as HTTP, lightweight communication protocol, and MQTT.

● Amazon AWS is featured to process a huge message list

● A safe and trustworthy platform for routing of messages

● It can track and communicate through the device even when the user is not connected to the platform

● Offers secure access for the devices connected

● It also allows you to use other Amazon products such as Amazon QuickSight, Lambda, and Amazon Kinesis

While these four IoT platforms are widely known and are quite reliable, the list does not end just here. There are many more options available when you search for the best IoT development tools for your firm. Here are some of the names that you should know for sure.

● IRI Voracity

● Salesforce IoT Cloud

● IBM Watson IoT

● ThingWorx

● Samsung Artik Cloud

● Oracle IoT

Now when there are so many best options available, know which one is perfect for your organisation or requirements. Now, different platforms are featured differently. Hence, it is essential to go through the features of the platforms and compare the options, such as the IoT apps of the platforms and others, to know the best one for your requirement.

Here is a comparison between the four popular IoT platforms to understand which one is best in which features.

Usage:

The very first point to look for is the usage of the IoT platforms. Of course, it depends upon the usage only. You will decide whether this platform is appropriate for your requirement or not.

● Google Platform is mainly for managing, sharing, and organisation of files and documents.

● Microsoft Azure is best used for connectivity purposes due to its Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Mesh tools.

● Amazon AWS is a cloud service that connects to other cloud apps and devices for smoothness in work.

● Particle also offers connectivity features through its products Wi-Fi, Mesh, and Cellular.

Solutions:

At times, just the usage of the platform is not enough. You also need to see the other solutions offered by the platforms.

● Google Platform offers asset tracking in real-time and is a perfect choice for smart cities.

● Microsoft Azure offers solutions related to connectivity for apps, cloud, and hardware.

● Amazon AWS is known for offering support to MQTT, lightweight communication protocol, and HTTP.

● Like Microsoft, Particle also offers solutions in terms of connectivity.

Pricing:

Pricing is another important factor that you need to check out while choosing a platform. Of course, you might wish to get the best option, but at times, the option’s price may not allow you to buy it. Hence, it is a good idea to compare the pricing too to stay within your budget.

● The services of Google Platform start at £1319.79 per month.

● Microsoft offers its services at £18.77 per device.

● Amazon AWS comes with a free trial of 12 months.

● Particle offers different pricing for its different services, and these are £11.26 for mesh, £36.79 for cellular, and £18.77 for Wi-Fi. All these services are offered on a per device basis.

Convenience:

Not every organisation can hire a training team when it is getting a new option, such as the IoT platform. Hence, it is also essential to check out the convenience that the platform offers at work.

● Google Platform offers a simplistic method of sharing and managing documents.

● Similarly, Microsoft Azure also offers an easy-to-learn option that is also user-friendly.

● Amazon AWS is known for its easy sign-up options. Also, it comes with tutorials to learn the working of the platform much conveniently.

● The particle is also quite user-friendly, and the users can learn working on it much easier.

Support:

What will you do if you are stuck up somewhere and have nothing else that you can do? First, of course, you will head to the support team of the platform. Thus, it is also essential to check out the platform’s support team so that you do not get into trouble in such situations.

● The users of Google Platform always get much better support from the community compared to other platforms.

● Microsoft is also known for its good support from the community for the users.

● Amazon offers dozens of tutorials through which the users can learn the working of the features.

● The platform Particle also comes up with feasible community support for the users.

Choosing the Right One

Now when you have gone through the features of all the top IoT development tools and have also compared them, it is time to choose the right one for you. Here are some of the factors that can help you in doing so.

Requirements:

Always analyse and check out your requirements before you go for an IoT platform. Several platforms come with several features. So, you should be clear of the features that you will require. Based on this requirement, choosing the right one will get much easier.

Pricing:

As mentioned before, pricing is another factor that you should not forget about. There is no point in dis-balancing your budget. Compare the features and the pricing to get the one that matches your budget bucket.

Ease of Use:

Today, you will find several IoT platforms that are developed with ease to understand and easy-to-use techniques. Check out the platforms by taking a trial so that you can know which one is the best one for you.

IoT platform has become a necessity in today’s world. Thus, even when a company is just starting up, it feels required to have an IoT platform for its working. In such a case, when so many options have come up, it is very important to check properly and get the right one that exactly suits your requirement and your capacities.