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IoT projects face a central challenge: Which components are needed for a functional IoT stack? From the sensor layer to data collection and visualization, various systems must work together seamlessly. Many teams rely on a combination of specialized tools rather than monolithic platforms that try to cover everything.
ThingsBoard, Grafana and ChirpStack are three open-source tools that complement each other ideally, each focusing on its core competency. ChirpStack handles LoRaWAN connectivity, ThingsBoard manages devices and processes data, Grafana provides deep data analysis.
Table of Contents
- The 5 Layers of the IoT Stack
- ChirpStack: LoRaWAN Network Server
- ThingsBoard: IoT Platform
- Grafana: Visualization & Analysis
- Comparison Table
- Integration: How They Work Together
- Use Case: Smart City
- Related Guides
The 5 Layers of the IoT Stack
A modern IoT stack can be divided into five layers, each taking on specific tasks:
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Sensors & Actuators (Device Layer): Physical sensors capture data (temperature, vibration, GPS), actuators control devices (valves, motors).
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Connectivity (Network Layer): Transmission of sensor data via LoRaWAN (ChirpStack), MQTT, HTTP or other protocols to the backend.
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Data Aggregation & Processing (Middleware): ThingsBoard collects, processes and stores data. The Rule Engine enables real-time processing and alarms.
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Visualization & Analysis (Presentation Layer): ThingsBoard offers operational real-time dashboards with device interaction. Grafana enables analytical dashboards for long-term trends and KPIs.
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Device Management (Management Layer): ThingsBoard handles provisioning, firmware updates, monitoring and security.
ChirpStack: LoRaWAN Network Server
ChirpStack is an open-source LoRaWAN Network Server for the connectivity layer. LoRaWAN enables long-range (up to 15 km), energy-efficient communication – ideal for battery-powered sensors with lifespans of 5-10 years.
ChirpStack web interface: Managing LoRaWAN gateways, devices and applications
Core Functions:
- Gateway and device management for LoRaWAN (Class A, B, C)
- Over-the-Air Activation (OTAA) and downlink scheduling for device control
- MQTT/HTTP integration for data forwarding to ThingsBoard
- Since version 4, network server and application server are combined in one component; the Gateway Bridge or MQTT Forwarder connects the gateways, and multiple regions run in one instance
ChirpStack is the ideal choice for LoRaWAN-based IoT projects. More on our ChirpStack expertise page or directly to ChirpStack Managed Hosting.
ThingsBoard: IoT Platform
ThingsBoard is an IoT platform with public source code for data collection, processing, visualization and device management. Unlike ChirpStack, ThingsBoard is protocol-agnostic and supports MQTT, HTTP, CoAP as well as LoRaWAN integrations.
ThingsBoard dashboard with real-time widgets, maps and device controls
Core Functions:
- Device management for millions of devices with hierarchical organization
- Rule Engine for real-time data processing, alarms and notifications (email, SMS, webhooks)
- 600+ IoT widgets for real-time dashboards with device interaction (switches, sliders, maps)
- Multi-tenancy with tenant hierarchy and role management
- Support for PostgreSQL, Cassandra and TimescaleDB
On licensing, as of October 2026: up to version 4.3 there was the Community Edition under Apache 2.0, which as 4.3 LTS receives security updates until 20 July 2027. Since version 4.4 (29 September 2026) ThingsBoard is under the Business Source License 1.1: free for commercial use up to 100 devices on one server, with a commercial license beyond that (ThingsBoard, announcement). What this means for existing installations is covered in the post ThingsBoard 4.4 under BUSL 1.1.
ThingsBoard is ideal as a central IoT platform for various protocols. More on our ThingsBoard expertise pages or directly to ThingsBoard Managed Hosting.
Grafana: Visualization & Analysis
Grafana is an open-source platform for data visualization and monitoring. While ThingsBoard is designed for operational real-time dashboards with device control, Grafana is suited for analytical dashboards with long-term metrics and KPI reporting.
Grafana dashboard: Time-series visualization and data analysis with multiple panels
Grafana accesses ThingsBoard data via PostgreSQL/TimescaleDB or REST API and offers extensive visualization and drill-down capabilities. Ideal for management reporting, long-term trends and multi-source dashboards (e.g., IoT + IT metrics). More on our Grafana expertise page or directly to Grafana Managed Hosting.
Comparison Table
Here's a compact overview of the three tools in direct comparison:
| Feature | ChirpStack | ThingsBoard | Grafana |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Role | LoRaWAN Network Server | IoT Platform | Visualization |
| IoT Stack Layer | Connectivity (Layer 2) | Middleware (Layer 3) + Device Mgmt. (Layer 5) | Visualization (Layer 4) |
| Protocols | LoRaWAN | MQTT, HTTP, CoAP, LoRaWAN, OPC-UA, Modbus | - (reads from data sources) |
| Device Management | LoRaWAN devices, gateways | All IoT devices (protocol-agnostic) | - |
| Dashboards | Basic UI for gateways/devices | 600+ IoT widgets, real-time, interactive | Extensive visualizations, analytical |
| Rule Engine | - | ✓ (Visual rule chain, TBEL/JavaScript) | - |
| Alerting | - | ✓ (Email, SMS, webhooks) | ✓ (Email, Slack, PagerDuty) |
| Database | PostgreSQL (metadata), Redis (real-time) | PostgreSQL, Cassandra, TimescaleDB | All common (PostgreSQL, InfluxDB, Prometheus, etc.) |
| Multi-Tenancy | ✓ (Tenants) | ✓ (Tenants, customers, hierarchy) | ✓ (Organizations) |
| License | MIT | up to 4.3: Apache 2.0 (CE) + proprietary (PE); from 4.4: BUSL 1.1 | AGPL v3 (OSS) + Proprietary (Enterprise) |
| Strengths | LoRaWAN specialist, energy-efficient | Comprehensive IoT platform, rule engine | Deep data analysis, multi-source dashboards |
| Weaknesses | LoRaWAN only | More complex setup, resource-intensive | No device interaction, no rule engine |
Conclusion: The three tools complement each other ideally – ChirpStack for LoRaWAN connectivity, ThingsBoard as central IoT platform, Grafana for analytical dashboards.
Integration: How They Work Together
The three tools integrate seamlessly: ChirpStack sends data via MQTT to ThingsBoard. ThingsBoard processes the data with the Rule Engine and stores it in PostgreSQL/TimescaleDB. Grafana accesses the data via SQL query or REST API.
LoRaWAN Sensor → ChirpStack → MQTT → ThingsBoard → PostgreSQL → Grafana
This architecture enables LoRaWAN connectivity, real-time processing with Rule Engine, operational dashboards in ThingsBoard and analytical dashboards in Grafana for management reporting. For additional automation, you can integrate Node-RED – also available as Managed Hosting.
The physical LoRaWAN connectivity and sensors beneath the stack – gateways, radio planning and payload decoders – are handled by our IoT partner merkaio.
Use Case: Smart City
Challenge: A city wants to monitor parking spaces in real-time and show availability to citizens via an app. At the same time, occupancy should be analyzed to optimize parking space planning.
Setup:
- Sensors: Parking sensors with LoRaWAN (battery-powered, 5-10 years lifespan)
- ChirpStack: Management of LoRaWAN gateways (e.g., mounted on lampposts), receiving occupancy data
- ThingsBoard: Real-time map with parking space status (green = free, red = occupied), alarms for sensor failure, REST API for mobile app, data storage in PostgreSQL/TimescaleDB
- Grafana: Occupancy heatmaps by day of week and time, KPI dashboard for city planning, long-term trends
Benefits: Real-time parking display for citizens, less parking search traffic, data-driven city planning, reduced CO₂ emissions.
More Smart City IoT solutions for parking management, waste management and environmental monitoring.
Related Guides
- ThingsBoard Managed Hosting
- ThingsBoard Installation Guide
- ChirpStack Managed Hosting
- Grafana Managed Hosting
- Node-RED Integration
- IoT Managed Hosting Services
- IoT Solutions at WZ-IT
Conclusion
ThingsBoard, Grafana and ChirpStack form a powerful combination for IoT projects: ChirpStack for LoRaWAN connectivity, ThingsBoard as central platform for device management and data processing, Grafana for analytical dashboards. ChirpStack and Grafana are open source, ThingsBoard up to version 4.3; since 4.4 ThingsBoard is source-available under BUSL 1.1. All three can be self-hosted GDPR-compliant.
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