Open-source IoT (Internet of Things) is now a real technology, quietly helping out in smart homes, with fitness trackers, heavy industry, and city management. By 2025, the IoT ecosystem will see its most rapid growth.
The good news is, you don’t need a big budget to start working in the IoT. Because of open-source IoT frameworks, developers, startups, and enterprises have the opportunity to create flexible, safe, and feature-rich IoT applications, all for a reasonable price.
In this article, we look at the top 2025 open-source IoT frameworks that might be ideal for your future IoT project. Includes information on platforms suitable for businesses as well as tools simple enough for people who work on projects in their spare time.
Why Choose Open Source IoT Frameworks?
Open-source IoT frameworks are systems in software that give you tools and libraries for making IoT apps. All these frameworks are made available for everyone to modify, distribute, and collaborate while coding. The top benefits of using open-source frameworks are
There are many benefits to frameworks that help them stand apart.
Cost-Effectiveness: Money not spent on licenses lets the company focus on developing new things. As a result, it is much easier for startups, educational institutions, and hobbyists with limited resources to enter the field.
Flexibility and Customisation: Developers are able to look at and modify the source code so that the platform matches their project needs. Because of this, reliable solutions that cannot be found in proprietary platforms can be formed.
Community Support: Developing open-source projects is best done by working together with others. A strong community encourages continual growth, offers support on specific challenges, and makes innovation happen more quickly for everyone.
Transparency and Security: Anyone using open source can check the software to make sure it protects security and privacy. Thanks to this level of transparency, users can spot and repair safety problems more quickly than with closed-source peers.
Rich Documentation: There are many tutorials, Q&A sites, and content made by users, so starting with open-source IoT frameworks gets easier regardless of how experienced you are.
Following open standards, IoT frameworks in the open-source world make it easier to combine devices and platforms. In addition, they support scalability, since changes and new features can be added efficiently to accessible code. Open-source platforms are now more often supporting trending edge computing, helping to quickly and locally process data that is key for real-time IoT in homes and factories.
Overall, these features greatly speed up developing IoT systems, cut costs, and help create a robust environment for developing new IoT ideas, so using open-source IoT frameworks becomes necessary for companies and individuals aiming to build scalable, secure, and customizable solutions anytime after 2025.
Top Open Source IoT Frameworks 2025
1. Kaa IoT Platform
Kaa IoT is a highly customizable open-source platform suitable for both small-scale and enterprise IoT applications. It supports device management, real-time data collection, and application development through comprehensive SDKs and APIs.
Key Features:
Complete access to source code for customisations
Strong system for deploying and handling devices
Processing and keeping data in real-time
Systems that provide reliable security
Use Cases:
Industrial IoT
Smart cities
Enterprise IoT solutions made to fit your requirements
Kaa’s features can fit any size project; developers often use it for custom solutions.
2. ThingsBoard
ThingsBoard helps you manage devices, collect data, process it, and visualise it. The platform backs MQTT, CoAP, and HTTP as main IoT protocols and can be placed either in a company’s cloud or on-site.
Key Features:
Ability to run on multiple devices and still function well
Support for numerous users sharing the same instance
A rule engine that can be adjusted for event-based workflows
Ability to use data visualisation widgets on the dashboard
Use Cases:
Automating a home using technology
Industrial monitoring
Many IoT applications are designed for multiple tenants.
ThingsBoard is designed so well that it can handle a large number of devices at once.
3. Eclipse IoT
Eclipse IoT is a project designed by a collaborative community to supply modular frameworks for developing IoT applications. It is possible for developers to only use the needed components with PHP.
Key Features:
Building solutions from modular architecture
Connecting deeply with other Eclipse projects
Lots of support from local groups
Use Cases:
Smart homes
Healthcare monitoring
Automated solutions designed for cars
By collaborating with the community, Eclipse IoT guarantees that things improve and expand.
4. Mainflux
Mainflux is an open-source IoT platform built for safeguarding devices, data, and applications. It deals with various communication methods, and you can put it to work on your site, in the cloud, or use a blend of the two, which is in the cloud or hybrid environments.
Key Features:
Design made to be flexible and grow as needed
MQTT, HTTP, CoAP, and other protocols are supported.
Better methods of handling and analyzing data
It is simple to connect with other systems through APIs.
Use Cases:
Industrial IoT
Smart buildings
Healthcare analytics
Its adaptability and low expense make Mainflux good for any IoT project.
5. Thinger.io
Thinger.io is an IoT platform built on the cloud that aims to be easy to use and supports fast development. You can use device management to process data as it arrives and easily connect it with other services.
Key Features:
Easy devices to use after quick setup
Providing data in real time and storing it also
Connection using API and webhook integration
An interface that is easy for both hobbyists and developers to use
Use Cases:
Building a practical demo
Smaller and mid-sized Internet of Things (IoT) efforts
Uses in education and as hobbies
Developers like Thinger.io because it is easy to use and takes minimal time to deploy.
6. ThingSpeak
ThingSpeak offers everyone the ability to collect, display, and examine sensor data in real time, free of charge. Advanced data processing can be done through the link between Data Management Toolbox and MATLAB.
Key Features:
Easy access to important data as it is collected
Analytics made easier by using MATLAB
No complicated steps to configure sensor data aggregation
Strong community support
Use Cases:
Academic research
Testing IoT applications with prototypes
Environmental monitoring
Developers who want to analyse and visualise data will find ThingSpeak very easy to use.
7. DeviceHive
DeviceHive is an open-source platform for IoT built using microservices and supports many programming languages on Docker and Kubernetes.
Key Features:
A microservice architecture that’s easily scaled
It runs on Python, Node.js, and Java clients.
The software can be placed in either the cloud or on your computers.
There are thousands of helpful plugins.
Use Cases:
Solutions that can be expanded as needed
Industrial automation
Smart city technology
By using microservices and being open to change, DeviceHive supports the rapid and safe development of IoT solutions.
8. Adafruit IO
Adafruit IO is a service for makers and hobbyists that lives in the cloud. It is closely connected to Adafruit’s hardware and includes tools for storing and displaying measured data.
Key Features:
User-friendly logging and interactive displays
Managing devices through a web browser
Combining API with webhook integrations
A large and active maker community
Use Cases:
Home automation
Educational projects
IoT development intended for hobbyists
Adafruit IO is the ideal choice for anyone wanting a simple and powerful solution for IoT.
9. Zetta
Zetta is designed as open-source software with Node.js for building IoT servers that share real-time data between systems.
Key Features:
Developed using Node.js to achieve high performance
Compatible with various types of device protocols
Data collection and processing in real time
Lots of developers are involved in the project
Use Cases:
Smart technology for the home
Fleet management
Solutions for the Internet of Things in retail
Fast and flexible Zetta is well-suited to handling data for real-time Internet of Things applications.
How to Choose the Right IoT Framework
If you’re considering top open-source IoT frameworks, the choice should depend on how the product fits your needs. Follow this quick advice to get a better idea:
Define Your Use Case
Is your network used for home gadgets or more complex industrial work? Are you looking for cloud solutions or to run your workloads on the device?
Think About Scalability
Can the framework scale up with added devices, larger amounts of data, and more complex tasks?
Community and Support
If the GitHub project is well-organised, is consistent with updates, and has a helpful forum, that’s a good sign.
Security and Compliance
Healthcare and finance companies cannot function without complete encryption, different access levels, and proper logging.
The Future of Open Source IoT in 2025
A lot more people are entering the IoT field now. Because edge computing, 5G, and AI are all being used together, demand for open-source IoT frameworks will only rise.
Here’s what we’re seeing in 2025:
More people are using edge-first techniques.
There is high demand for zero-trust security models.
Every site must now be compatible with every device.
Low-code/no-code tool platforms are growing in their capabilities.
If you’re not using open source for your IoT projects yet, you’ll be left behind.
FAQs:
Q1: What are the best open-source IoT frameworks for enterprise use?Platforms like Mainflux, Kaa IoT, and ThingsBoard are great for companies because they have strong security, the ability to scale, and many tools for handling devices.
Q2: Are open-source IoT frameworks suitable for beginners?Sure, Adafruit IO and Thinger.io have easy-to-use interfaces that make them great options for anyone starting in IoT.
Q3: Can I customise open-source IoT frameworks?Absolutely. It’s possible to modify the code directly and configure the platform how you like using frameworks such as Kaa IoT and DeviceHive.
Q4: How do open-source IoT frameworks handle security?Many open-source platforms include features such as checking devices, protected communication, and secure storage of data. A community scan reveals errors and security flaws very easily.
Q5: Which open-source IoT platform supports real-time data processing?Real-time data streaming and processing are available on ThingsBoard, Thinger.io, and Zetta, so they can serve applications that need quick data insights.
Conclusion
There will be many versatile open-source IoT frameworks serving the needs of small to large projects in 2025. If you want to create an industrial solution using Kaa IoT, design a demonstration quickly on Thinger.io or visualise sensor data using ThingSpeak; there is a platform perfect for you.
Which framework you use depends on what your project aims to do, how skilled you are, and what growth is required. Using these main open-source IoT frameworks will speed up your ability to innovate, lower costs, and provide more secure and scalable IoT solutions.