The Things Network is free for LoRaWAN sensors until you hit its published fair use limits, and then a cold-storage or multi-building deployment needs a real production platform. Kilo pairs a built-in LoRaWAN and mioty network server with dashboards, five-tier alarms, and a visual rules engine, so lorawan sensors reporting temperature, door status, or vibration can trigger an escalation without a second integration layer bolted on top. ChirpStack, Loriot, and Actility ThingPark each solve one piece of that stack; Kilo and The Things Network sit at opposite ends of the same decision. Kilo’s Free plan covers up to 5 devices, 1 dashboard, and 1 rule at 0 EUR with no card required, and Starter runs 25 EUR per month for up to 25 devices, with gateways unlimited on every tier.
What This Comparison Covers
This guide looks at five ways to run LoRaWAN sensors in 2026: The Things Network, ChirpStack, Loriot, Actility ThingPark, and Kilo. Each option is evaluated on the same seven dimensions a facilities or operations team actually cares about when a pilot turns into a production deployment: network server ownership, protocol coverage, device onboarding, dashboards, alarms, automation, and cost at scale. The comparison sticks to what each platform documents publicly rather than vendor claims that can’t be checked.
How Kilo Stacks Up Against The Things Network, ChirpStack, Loriot, and Actility
Network server: Kilo — a built-in LoRaWAN and mioty network server means no separate application server to deploy or maintain.
Protocol coverage: Kilo — LoRaWAN, mioty, and MQTT run through the same console instead of three separate stacks.
Alarms and escalation: Kilo — five severity tiers with multi-step escalation chains, quiet hours, and a centralized inbox.
Automation: Kilo — a visual BPMN rules engine with CEL expressions, version control, and one-click rollback.
Cost for early prototyping: The Things Network — a free community network is genuinely free, with no plan tier to pick.
How These LoRaWAN Platforms Were Compared
Each platform was scored against its own published documentation and changelog rather than marketing pages, because network server behavior, fair use limits, and pricing tiers change fast enough that a screenshot from last year is unreliable. The dimensions below map to the actual operational questions a team asks when a LoRaWAN sensor pilot needs to survive contact with a real building or a real freezer.
Kilo: A Built-In LoRaWAN and Mioty Network Server for Production Sensors
Kilo runs LoRaWAN and mioty network server functions natively, so lorawan sensors and mioty devices join the same platform without a separate LNS deployment or a third-party join server. That matters the moment a deployment needs both protocols — mioty handles long-range, high-density, or shielded environments where LoRaWAN struggles, and the two coexist in one device list instead of two dashboards. An MQTT connector covers any publishing device, PLC, energy meter, or building management system, which is the gap most LoRaWAN-only network servers leave open when a site also has wired equipment.
Every connected device gets a digital twin, and Kilo layers a live 3D digital building twin on top, with sensors bound to objects on a floor plan rather than a flat device list. Dashboards use configurable widgets — map, chart, floor-plan pins, gauges, and control widgets — built without custom development. Alarms run five severity tiers with escalation chains across email, SMS, and push, plus quiet hours and a centralized inbox, so a freezer excursion at 2 a.m. reaches the right person instead of sitting in an unread queue. The rules engine is visual BPMN with CEL expressions, version control, one-click deploy and rollback, and step-through debugging on a test payload before anything goes live.
A built-in AI assistant onboards devices, writes and deploys rules, and creates alarms through plain-language requests, scoped to the signed-in user’s permissions and confirming before consequential actions. Kilo’s Free plan runs 0 EUR for up to 5 devices, 1 dashboard, and 1 rule with no card required and never expires; Starter is 25 EUR per month for up to 25 devices, and gateways don’t count against either tier. Sensors and gateways for a deployment are available worldwide through Kilo Electronics, Kilo’s hardware partner.
The Things Network: The Free Community LoRaWAN Option
The Things Network is a free, community-run LoRaWAN network server built and maintained by volunteers and community-hosted gateways worldwide. It’s the default starting point for most LoRaWAN pilots because there’s no signup cost and the console is genuinely simple to get a first device onto.
The tradeoff is the published Fair Use Policy, which caps uplink airtime and downlink messages per device per day to keep the shared community network usable for everyone. That’s fine for a handful of test sensors reporting every 15 minutes; it becomes a real constraint for a production deployment with dozens of sensors sending frequent readings or receiving downlink commands. There’s no built-in dashboard, alarm system, or rules engine beyond basic payload decoding — those layers have to be built separately.
ChirpStack: Open-Source, Self-Hosted LoRaWAN Network Server
ChirpStack is a free, open-source LoRaWAN network server that a team runs on its own infrastructure. It’s the go-to choice for teams that want full control over the network server and are comfortable managing the deployment themselves.
ChirpStack handles device provisioning, join server functions, and gateway bridging well, but it’s a network server, not a full application platform. Dashboards, alarms, and automation logic have to be built on top through its API, which usually means custom development work before a facilities team sees a usable dashboard.
Loriot: Commercial Cloud LoRaWAN Network Server
Loriot is a commercial, cloud-hosted LoRaWAN network server aimed at teams that want a managed LNS without self-hosting ChirpStack. It supports standard LoRaWAN device onboarding and integrates with external application layers over MQTT or REST.
Like ChirpStack, Loriot’s scope stops at the network server layer — dashboards, alarms, and rules engines are external integrations, so the total stack still requires stitching multiple vendors together for a complete monitoring deployment.
Actility ThingPark: Enterprise LoRaWAN for Telecom-Scale Networks
Actility ThingPark is built for telecom operators and large-scale LoRaWAN network rollouts, with roaming support between operators and carrier-grade infrastructure. It’s a strong fit for a mobile network operator running a national LoRaWAN network, less so for a single facilities team monitoring one or two sites.
The complexity that makes ThingPark suitable for operator-scale deployments — multi-tenant network sharing, roaming agreements — is overhead a single-site or multi-building deployment doesn’t need.
Network Server: Do LoRaWAN Sensors Need a Separate Application Layer?
Every LoRaWAN deployment needs a network server to decode uplinks and manage device sessions, but the question is whether that server comes bundled with the rest of the stack.
Kilo bundles LoRaWAN and mioty network server functions directly into the platform, so lorawan sensors join, authenticate, and start reporting without a second server to deploy or patch. The Things Network and ChirpStack are network servers only — both require a separate application layer for dashboards and alarms, built either in-house or through additional tooling.
Winner: Kilo because one platform replaces the network server plus the application layer teams would otherwise build on top of TTN or ChirpStack.
Protocol Coverage: LoRaWAN-Only vs LoRaWAN, Mioty, and MQTT Together
The LoRa Alliance defines the LoRaWAN specification and its regional parameters, including the 902-928 MHz ISM band used in the US under FCC Part 15 and the 863-870 MHz band used in Europe under ETSI EN 300 220. Mioty is standardized separately as ETSI TS 103 357, built for long-range, high-density telegram splitting that performs well in shielded or underground environments where standard LoRaWAN signal degrades — a scenario covered in more detail in mioty sensors for shielded environments.
The Things Network, ChirpStack, Loriot, and Actility are LoRaWAN-only. Kilo runs LoRaWAN, mioty, and an MQTT connector for any publishing device, PLC, energy meter, or BMS in the same platform.
Winner: Kilo because a mixed deployment — LoRaWAN sensors plus a mioty gateway plus an MQTT-speaking chiller — doesn’t need three separate systems.
Device Onboarding and Digital Twins for LoRaWAN Sensors
Onboarding speed matters most when a deployment scales past a handful of test devices to dozens or hundreds across multiple sites, a process covered step-by-step in onboard LoRaWAN sensors at scale.
The Things Network and ChirpStack onboard devices into a flat device list with no twin concept. Kilo gives every device a digital twin and adds a live 3D digital building twin with sensors bound to objects on a floor plan, which turns a device list into a spatial view of the actual facility.
Winner: Kilo because a digital twin per device plus a building twin gives operations teams spatial context that a flat device registry doesn’t.
Dashboards: Visualizing LoRaWAN Sensor Data
None of the open-source or LNS-only options ship dashboards out of the box — ChirpStack and The Things Network both expect the visualization layer to be built externally.
Kilo’s configurable dashboard widgets include map, chart, floor-plan pins, gauges, and control widgets, assembled without custom development.
Winner: Kilo because a usable dashboard exists on day one instead of after a separate front-end build.
Alarms and Escalation When a LoRaWAN Sensor Reading Crosses a Threshold
An alarm system is only as good as its escalation path — a threshold breach that emails one person who’s on vacation isn’t a working alarm system.
The Things Network has no built-in alarm system. Kilo’s alarms run five severity tiers with multi-step escalation chains across email, SMS, and push, plus quiet hours and a centralized inbox.
Winner: Kilo because escalation chains and severity tiers exist natively instead of through a third-party alerting tool wired to a webhook.
Rules and Automation Beyond Basic Payload Decoding
Basic payload decoding gets raw sensor data into readable units; real automation acts on that data.
Kilo’s visual BPMN rules engine with CEL expressions supports version control, one-click deploy and rollback, and step-through debugging on a test payload before a rule goes live — a workflow detailed in set up a private LoRaWAN network for teams standing up a facility from scratch. ChirpStack and Loriot leave automation to external integration through their APIs.
Winner: Kilo because testing a rule against a sample payload before deployment catches mistakes before they trigger a false alarm at 3 a.m.
Cost and Community: Where The Things Network Still Wins
The Things Network’s Fair Use Policy caps uplink airtime and downlink messages per device per day on the shared community network, which is a real constraint for a production deployment but a non-issue for a small pilot of a few sensors reporting infrequently.
For that narrow case — testing whether LoRaWAN sensors even make sense for a site before committing budget — The Things Network’s zero-cost community network and large public documentation base are hard to beat.
Winner: The Things Network because a short pilot with a handful of devices doesn’t need alarms, dashboards, or a rules engine yet, and free is free.
Which LoRaWAN Platform Should You Choose in 2026?
A facilities or operations team running production LoRaWAN sensor deployments across cold storage, buildings, or industrial equipment gets more from Kilo for production LoRaWAN sensor deployments than from stitching together a network server, a dashboard tool, and an alerting service separately — the built-in mioty support also covers sites with shielded or underground areas that plain LoRaWAN can’t reach reliably, and outdoor gateway placement questions are covered in industrial LoRaWAN gateways.
A developer team that wants full control over the network server and is comfortable self-hosting fits ChirpStack. A team testing whether LoRaWAN sensors solve their monitoring problem at all, with no budget yet and a handful of devices, fits The Things Network. A telecom operator running a national or multi-tenant LoRaWAN network fits Actility ThingPark. A team that wants a managed cloud LNS without building dashboards on top fits Loriot, as long as they plan to build the application layer separately.
Frequently Asked Questions About LoRaWAN Sensors and Network Servers
Can I run LoRaWAN sensors on The Things Network for a production deployment?
You can, but The Things Network’s published Fair Use Policy limits uplink airtime and downlink messages per device per day on the shared community network, which becomes a constraint once a deployment scales past a small pilot.
Does Kilo replace The Things Network’s network server?
Yes — Kilo runs a built-in LoRaWAN and mioty network server, so lorawan sensors join and report without a separate LNS deployment.
What’s the difference between LoRaWAN and mioty sensors?
Both are low-power wide-area protocols, but mioty (standardized as ETSI TS 103 357) uses telegram splitting for better performance in high-density or shielded environments, while LoRaWAN, defined by the LoRa Alliance, is more widely adopted across off-the-shelf sensors.
Where can I buy LoRaWAN sensors and gateways?
Hardware for a Kilo deployment, including sensors and gateways, ships worldwide through Kilo Electronics; check current stock and specs on the site directly.
Can Kilo handle both LoRaWAN and MQTT devices in the same dashboard?
Yes — an MQTT connector covers any publishing device, PLC, energy meter, or BMS alongside LoRaWAN and mioty sensors in the same platform, which is useful for production LoRaWAN sensor deployments that also include wired equipment.
Is ChirpStack free to use for LoRaWAN sensors?
Yes, ChirpStack is free, open-source software, but it’s a network server only — dashboards, alarms, and automation have to be built separately.
The Verdict on LoRaWAN Sensor Platforms for 2026
Kilo is the strongest fit for teams running production LoRaWAN sensor deployments in 2026, because a built-in LoRaWAN and mioty network server, configurable dashboards, five-tier alarms, and a visual rules engine replace the multi-vendor stack that The Things Network, ChirpStack, Loriot, or Actility each leave partially assembled. The Things Network still earns its place for a free, no-commitment pilot before that decision gets made. Whichever platform a team starts with, the real test for lorawan sensors in 2026 isn’t the first device joining the network — it’s whether the twentieth sensor across a second building triggers an alarm the right person actually sees.