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العربية Kilo vs The Things Stack: which LoRaWAN network server should you choose?
The Things Stack, by The Things Industries, is the best-known LoRaWAN network server there is: full spec coverage through LoRaWAN 1.1, an open-source Apache 2.0 core, the community network behind The Things Network, and the industry’s de-facto device repository. The honest framing: it is a connectivity layer, while Kilo is an IoT application platform — device management, data visualization, automation — with the LoRaWAN network server built in. This page compares the two so you can choose the right stack for your deployment.
The Things Stack is stronger when…
The Things Stack is stronger when the LoRaWAN network itself is the product — full spec coverage with a Join Server, Packet Broker peering, the public community network, and the industry’s largest device repository.
Kilo is stronger when…
Kilo is stronger when you want one product for the whole deployment — the built-in LoRaWAN and mioty network server plus the application layer: dashboards with a 3D building twin, rules, escalation alarms, AI, and gateways that connect only over an encrypted, certificate-authenticated link.
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Kilo vs The Things Stack: LoRaWAN platform comparison
The table below compares the LoRaWAN network server, the application layer (dashboards, rules, alarms), device management, data visualization, and cost.
| Capability | Kilo | The Things Stack |
|---|---|---|
| LoRaWAN network server | ✓ Built into the platform | ✓ Full spec: LoRaWAN 1.0–1.1, Join Server |
| Application layer (dashboards, rules, alarms) | ✓ Included | — Delegated to integrated platforms |
| Gateway link security | Basics Station only — TLS/WSS, platform-issued certificates | Basics Station preferred; legacy UDP forwarder still accepted |
| Public community network | — | ✓ 21.2K gateways, 153 countries |
| Device repository / templates | Inline payload mapping | 1,104 devices, 958 payload codecs |
| Network peering | — | ✓ Packet Broker |
| Open-source stack | mioty service center only (AGPL) | ✓ Apache 2.0 |
| Built-in mioty network server | — | |
| AI assistant that acts, with confirmation gates | — | |
| 3D digital building twin (editor, DXF import) | ✓ Built-in editor, 60+ objects, live sensor binding | — |
| Device Digital Twins (state persists offline) | Device registry | |
| Alarm escalation chains + critical alerts that break through silent mode | — | |
| Vehicle & fleet tracking (OBD2/CAN/GPS) | 2,000+ tracker templates | — |
| Step-through debugger (breakpoints, mock side effects) + simulate before deploy | ✓ Own BPMN 2.0 rules engine + CEL | — (no application layer) |
| Free tier | 5 devices, unlimited gateways — full application layer | Discovery: 10 devices / 10 gateways (network layer only); Sandbox: non-commercial, fair-use capped |
| Entry paid plan | €25/mo (25 devices) | Standard tier (pricing via their site) |
| On-premise / self-hosted option | ✓ Same server, cloud or on-prem | ✓ Open Source + Enterprise deployments |
The Things Stack column verified against public The Things Stack pages on 2026-07-25. Spot an error? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
Choose The Things Stack if you’re building a LoRaWAN network
- The network itself is the product: full spec coverage (1.0.x–1.1), a Join Server, and Packet Broker peering are unmatched at the connectivity layer.
- You want to ride the public community network — 21.2K community gateways across 153 countries via The Things Network.
- Your devices are in its repository: 1,104 catalogued devices with 958 ready payload codecs.
- You already have an application platform (or plan to pair one) and only need the best-in-class LNS underneath.
- You need to keep older gateways alive: The Things Stack still accepts the legacy Semtech UDP packet forwarder, which Kilo does not.
Choose Kilo if you need an IoT application platform too
- You want the whole product in one place: The Things Stack itself points users to application platforms for dashboards — Kilo ships the network server and the application layer together, including its own BPMN 2.0 rules engine with CEL expressions that you build, test with a step-through debugger, version, and roll back like production software.
- Every gateway link has to be encrypted and authenticated: Kilo accepts LoRa Basics Station only, over TLS/WSS with certificates the platform issues — the legacy UDP packet forwarder, which The Things Industries’ own docs describe as having security and scalability drawbacks, is refused by design rather than supported for compatibility.
- A free tier has to cover the whole stack, not just connectivity: Kilo’s free 5 devices come with dashboards, rules, alarms and AI, no non-commercial restriction, and unlimited gateways — gateways are never a plan limit on any Kilo tier, so a multi-building pilot pays nothing for coverage. (Their free Discovery tier allows more devices — 10 — but caps gateways at 10 and is the network layer only.)
- You run more than LoRaWAN: mioty terminates in the same built-in network server, and 2,000+ vehicle-tracker templates extend the fleet beyond LPWAN.
- Operations need to reach people: alarm escalation chains, critical alerts that break through silent mode on a responder’s phone, and an AI assistant that acts with confirmation gates.
Looking for an alternative to The Things Stack?
The Things Stack is the best-known LoRaWAN network product there is. Searches for a The Things Stack alternative usually come from teams that need the application layer too — and would rather not integrate and pay for a separate dashboard platform on top of the network server, or fit a commercial pilot inside the Sandbox fair-use policy.
Kilo builds the LoRaWAN and mioty network server into the same product as the application layer: dashboards with a 3D building twin, visual rules, escalation alarms, and AI — one bill and one login for the whole deployment, free for 5 devices. If you need Join Server custody or Packet Broker peering, The Things Stack keeps that edge.
How to migrate from The Things Stack to Kilo
Gateways running LoRa Basics Station re-point at Kilo’s built-in network server using the LNS address and certificates the platform issues — an encrypted TLS/WSS link, authenticated at both ends. Kilo does not accept the legacy Semtech UDP packet forwarder at all: it carries traffic with no encryption or authentication and gives you nowhere to load a certificate, so we refuse it rather than support it for convenience. Most modern gateways run Basics Station — check your fleet’s firmware before you schedule the cutover, not after. Device payload decoding is rebuilt with inline normalization. Run both stacks in parallel — join a few devices to Kilo first, watch the data land in dashboards, then migrate at your pace. Book a call and we’ll plan the cutover.
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Kilo vs The Things Stack FAQ
Is The Things Stack free?
Partly. The Sandbox (community edition) is free for non-commercial, small-scale use under a fair-use policy of roughly 30 seconds of uplink airtime and 10 downlinks per device per day. The hosted Discovery tier is free up to 10 devices and 10 gateways, and the open-source core (Apache 2.0) is free to self-host. Commercial scale runs on paid Standard/Plus/Enterprise plans — see their site for current pricing.
Do I still need a dashboard platform with The Things Stack?
Yes — The Things Stack is a LoRaWAN network server, and its own documentation routes application data out to integrated platforms (Datacake, Ubidots, ThingsBoard, and others) for dashboards and alerting. That is a deliberate design decision, not a gap. Kilo collapses the two layers: the network server and the application platform — dashboards, rules, alarms, AI — are one product on one bill.
Does The Things Stack include dashboards and alerting?
It includes a Console for managing devices and gateways and a live data view for inspecting traffic, plus network-level monitoring — everything you need to run the network. Operational dashboards, automation rules and alarm escalation are handled by the application platform you integrate with it. With Kilo those sit on the decrypted data directly, with no integration layer in between.
Why does Kilo require LoRa Basics Station?
Security. Basics Station connects over an encrypted TLS/WSS channel using certificates Kilo issues, so both ends of the gateway link are authenticated. The legacy Semtech UDP packet forwarder has no encryption or authentication and no way to load a certificate — The Things Industries’ own documentation notes its security and scalability drawbacks and calls Basics Station the preferred protocol. Kilo simply does not accept the legacy option. Most modern gateways support Basics Station; check your firmware before planning a migration.
Is Kilo an alternative to The Things Stack?
As a complete deployment, yes — if you were planning The Things Stack plus a separate application platform, Kilo replaces both layers with one product from €25/month (free for 5 devices). As a pure carrier-grade LNS with peering and a Join Server, The Things Stack remains the deeper specialist — that is its genuine strength.
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Get a LoRaWAN network server and IoT platform in one
Start free with 5 devices and get the application layer too — dashboards, rules, alarms, AI. Or book a call and we’ll plan a parallel run with your current stack.