OpenRemote review 2026: open-source IoT platform features, asset management, automation, pricing model, pros, cons and alternatives for integrators.
OpenRemote is a 100% open-source IoT platform originally founded in 2008 by Marc Fleury, the creator of the JBoss Java application server, initially as a smart-home automation project. Around 2016 the project pivoted to focus on enterprise and OEM IoT device management rather than consumer smart homes.
The company, OpenRemote B.V., is headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and remains privately held and bootstrapped, funding development through client contracts for hosting, customization, and professional services rather than venture capital.
OpenRemote uses an asset-centric data model where users define custom asset types, buildings, sensors, vehicles, or energy devices, and track their attributes over time. It includes native support for a wide range of IoT protocols, including MQTT, ModBus, KNX, Bluetooth, LoRaWAN, SNMP, and Velbus.
Automation can be configured with simple When-Then rules, a visual Flow Editor for data pipelines, or Groovy scripting for advanced logic. Every asset is automatically exposed via a unified REST API and WebSockets, and the platform includes a built-in dashboard builder, map-based geofencing, and Keycloak-powered enterprise identity management.
OpenRemote's core platform is free and open source with no licensing fees for self-hosted use; the full stack is available on GitHub with no paywalled enterprise edition.
Organizations that prefer not to run and maintain their own infrastructure can pay OpenRemote for managed cloud hosting, custom configuration, and integration development, with pricing quoted individually per project rather than published as fixed tiers.
Yes, the core OpenRemote platform is free and open source for self-hosted use. Managed hosting and professional services are paid and quoted per project.
OpenRemote was founded in 2008 by Marc Fleury, the creator of the JBoss open-source Java application server.
OpenRemote has built-in support for HTTP, MQTT, ModBus, KNX, Bluetooth, LoRaWAN, SNMP, Velbus, TCP, UDP, and serial connections.
OpenRemote started as a smart-home project but pivoted around 2016 to focus on enterprise and OEM IoT device management rather than consumer smart homes.
Yes, OpenRemote offers managed cloud hosting and professional configuration services on a paid, quoted basis.
OpenRemote's full stack, including the backend, rules engine, and console, is published as open-source software on GitHub.
OpenRemote is best suited to professional IoT integrators, OEMs, and enterprise teams managing complex, multi-protocol asset ecosystems in areas like smart buildings and energy management.