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العربية Kilo vs The Things Stack: which LoRaWAN stack fits your deployment?
The Things Stack, by The Things Industries, is the reference LoRaWAN network server: 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 application platform with the network server built in.
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Kilo vs The Things Stack at a glance
| 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 37 integrated platforms |
| Public community network | — | ✓ 21K+ gateways, 153 countries |
| Device repository / templates | Inline payload mapping | 1,102 devices, 956 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) | ✓ 60+ object catalog | — |
| Alarm escalation chains + Apple-approved Critical Alerts app | — | |
| Vehicle tracker integration (OBD2/CAN/GPS) | 2,000+ tracker templates | — |
| Free tier | 5 devices, full app layer | Discovery: 10 devices / 10 gateways (LNS 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 2026-07-02. Spot an error? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
Choose The Things Stack if…
- You are building a LoRaWAN network as the product: full spec coverage (1.0.x–1.1), a Join Server, roaming, and Packet Broker peering are unmatched at the connectivity layer.
- You want to ride the public community network — 21K+ community gateways across 153 countries via The Things Network.
- Your devices are in its repository: 1,102 catalogued devices with 956 ready payload codecs.
- You already have an application platform (or plan to pair one) and only need the best-in-class LNS underneath.
Choose Kilo if…
- 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 (dashboards, rules, alarms, AI) together.
- Your free tier needs to run a real deployment: Kilo’s 5 free devices include the full application layer, with no non-commercial restriction or airtime fair-use cap.
- 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, an Apple-approved Critical Alerts app, and an AI assistant that acts with confirmation gates.
Moving gateways is the easy part
Gateways connected to The Things Stack over LoRa Basics Station or the Semtech UDP packet forwarder can be re-pointed at Kilo’s built-in network server, and 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 integrates it with 37 application platforms (Datacake, Ubidots, ThingsBoard, and others) for dashboards and alerting. Kilo collapses the two layers: the network server and the application platform — dashboards, rules, alarms, AI — are one product on one bill.
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 roaming, peering, and a Join Server, The Things Stack remains the deeper specialist — that is its genuine strength.
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More comparisons and alternatives
The network server is only half the job
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.