22.02.2026
ThingsBoard Community vs Professional Edition: Which Fits Your IoT Project?
ThingsBoard is one of the most mature open-source IoT platforms on the market. But with two editions – Community Edition (CE) and Professional Edition (PE)...
ThingsBoard is the most mature open-source IoT platform: device management, rule engine, dashboards with 600+ widgets and native multi-tenant capability – all in one system. Actively developed, production-proven, over 15,000 GitHub stars.
ThingsBoard is, alongside Grafana, one of the core foundations on which we build IoT platforms. We use it not as an isolated tool, but as a central component in the overall stack: custom rule chains, White-Label interfaces, API integrations and managed hosting from a single source.
Custom rule chains, White-Label dashboards, API integration or managed hosting – we develop and operate ThingsBoard platforms for your use case.
Business logic directly in ThingsBoard: threshold alerts, device status automations, data transformation and conditional routing. Custom rule chain nodes for specific requirements.
Angular-based widgets for visualizations that ThingsBoard does not offer out-of-the-box. Custom dashboards for your end customers – tailored to your data structure.
Your own logo, color scheme, domain and email templates. A fully custom interface for your customers – without ThingsBoard being visible as the underlying platform.
Integrate the ThingsBoard REST and MQTT API into ERP (SAP, Dynamics, DATEV), CRM, ticketing systems and external data sources. Bidirectional, documented, maintainable.
ThingsBoard for device management and end-customer dashboards, Grafana for ops monitoring and technical analysis. Two tools, one stack, clear separation of responsibilities.
Integrate LoRaWAN devices into ThingsBoard via ChirpStack: payload decoders, downlinks, fleet management. End-to-end from sensor to dashboard.
ThingsBoard
Two editions, different use cases
The Community Edition (CE) is free and ideal for single-tenant projects and pilots. The Professional Edition (PE) offers White-Label, true multi-tenancy with customer hierarchy and enterprise features. We help with the edition decision and handle setup and licensing.
Free and open source. Rule engine, REST-API, MQTT, dashboards with 600+ widgets. Ideal for single-tenant projects, pilots and dedicated platforms without tenant separation.
White-Label, multi-tenant with customer hierarchy, CSV/PDF export, scheduler, custom translations. For SaaS products and enterprise platforms with isolated customer environments.
Running ThingsBoard on dedicated infrastructure
We deploy and operate ThingsBoard on dedicated servers in German data centers. Docker-based, reproducible, CI/CD-ready. Monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana, automated backups, regular updates.
For production environments, we set up high-availability configurations with redundant components. Migration of existing ThingsBoard instances including data transfer and configuration adjustments.
Reproducible container-based deployments, CI/CD pipeline, infrastructure-as-code
Dedicated servers in German data centers, full GDPR compliance
Prometheus, Grafana, automated backups, alerting on outages
Redundant components, load balancing, automatic failover for production environments
Migrate existing ThingsBoard instances, data transfer, configuration adjustments
Updates, security patches, capacity planning and incident response in ongoing operations
Not isolated, but as the core of an integrated IoT platform

Open-source LoRaWAN network server. Device onboarding, payload decoders, multi-tenant – integrated directly into ThingsBoard.
Ops monitoring and technical analysis. Embedded panels, Prometheus integration, role-based views – complements ThingsBoard dashboards.
Custom backend for MQTT ingestion, WebSocket streams and data processing. Connects ThingsBoard with external systems.
Time-series databases for high-frequency sensor data. Fast queries across millions of data points, optimized for IoT workloads.
Mobile apps for iOS and Android: device pairing, push alerting, offline sync. ThingsBoard API as the backend.
Bidirectional integration of SAP, Dynamics, DATEV and ticketing systems with ThingsBoard via REST-API and Node-RED.
ThingsBoard services for different starting points
You have installed ThingsBoard and are stuck with custom rule chains, widgets or multi-tenant setup. We take over – from configuration to production operations.
You have a running ThingsBoard instance that needs to be extended or migrated. New features, better performance, clean architecture.
You sell IoT projects and need a ThingsBoard subcontractor. We deliver the technology, you sell the solution under your branding.
You need a White-Label platform based on ThingsBoard for your end customers. Device onboarding, dashboards, mobile app – all from a single source.
Frequently asked questions about ThingsBoard development and integration
The ThingsBoard Professional Edition uses a per-server licensing model. The exact costs depend on the number of devices and tenants. We handle the licensing and advise on the most cost-effective configuration – after the initial consultation you receive a transparent cost overview.
The Community Edition (CE) is free and offers rule engine, REST-API, MQTT and dashboards. The key difference: the PE offers true multi-tenancy with customer hierarchy, White-Label, CSV/PDF export and scheduler. For SaaS products with multiple customers, you need the PE.
Yes. We deploy ThingsBoard Docker-based on dedicated servers at Hetzner or on your own infrastructure. No AWS, no Azure – full GDPR compliance without public cloud dependency. Monitoring, backups and updates included in managed operations.
Via the ThingsBoard REST-API and Node-RED as the integration layer. Bidirectional: sensor data flows into the ERP, master data comes back into ThingsBoard. API-first architecture, documented and maintainable.
ThingsBoard for device management and end-customer dashboards (600+ widgets, multi-tenant). Grafana for ops monitoring, technical analysis and Prometheus integration. In our projects, both run in parallel – clear separation of responsibilities, one stack.
ChirpStack receives LoRaWAN data from gateways, decodes the payloads and forwards them to ThingsBoard via MQTT. In ThingsBoard, devices are managed, data is visualized and alerts are triggered. We integrate both systems including payload decoders and fleet management.
To a limited extent. With the CE, you can customize the appearance (CSS, logo), but true White-Label with a custom domain, email templates and a fully branded interface requires the PE. For customer projects with custom branding, we recommend the PE.
Yes. We know the ThingsBoard codebase and take over existing instances: add custom rule chains, develop widgets, build API integrations, optimize performance or migrate to the PE. Migration to new infrastructure including data transfer is also covered.
22.02.2026
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Whether a specific IT challenge or just an idea – we look forward to the exchange. In a brief conversation, we'll evaluate together if and how your project fits with WZ-IT.
Timo Wevelsiep
Lead IoT Solutions Architect

