Tool profile
Datacake: cost, fit and limits
Datacake is a low-code IoT platform made by DATACAKE GmbH that builds dashboards, rules and alerts for connected sensors, with a free LoRaWAN network server and euro-priced cards for projects from five devices to thousands.
What to know first
Datacake prices by device count in euros: a free plan for 5 devices, then cards at EUR 25, 159, 399 and 659 per month up to 1,000 devices, plus a custom Enterprise tier. Higher cards add white label, a reporting engine, audit logs and longer backups. The home page also names an AI assistant, but the pages we read did not describe what it does.
Datacake at a glance
| Maker | DATACAKE GmbH, Germany (registered address in Vreden, per the privacy policy) |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Entry price | Free for 5 devices; Hobby EUR 25 per month |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI IoT Platforms in 2026, rank 2 of 13 |
| Website | datacake.co/ |
Who Datacake is best for
LoRaWAN sensor deployments
The home page promises a LoRaWAN network server with unlimited gateways and no per-gateway fees, and it names a migration path from TTN, ChirpStack and Loriot for existing networks.
Agencies delivering branded dashboards
White label starts on the Light card, workspaces are unlimited from that card, and multi-tenancy is described for system integrators, which fits companies that run many client projects.
Small teams that want a monthly euro invoice
Prices are printed in EUR, annual plans can be paid by invoice from the Standard card, and the Hobby card accepts credit cards for smaller buyers.
Datacake plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free for 5 devices | Five devices with no time limit, for testing a first sensor setup and a basic dashboard. |
| Hobby | EUR 25 per month | Up to 25 devices, 1 workspace, 5 advanced rules with no log retention and 1 year of data retention. |
| Light | EUR 159 per month | Up to 50 devices, white label, 10 advanced rules, 2 outgoing webhooks and manual exports. |
| Standard | EUR 399 per month | Up to 200 devices, a reporting engine, 50 advanced rules and invoice payment on annual plans. |
| Plus | EUR 659 per month | Up to 1,000 devices, 100 advanced rules, user and audit log and 365 days of backups. |
Checked November 2026.
What Datacake does
- Free LoRaWAN server
- Datacake runs a LoRaWAN network server at no charge for gateways, so a project pays per device on the card rather than per gateway, which changes the math for sites with many gateways.
- Rule engine
- Basic and advanced rules trigger alerts by email, SMS or webhook. The number of advanced rules climbs from 5 on Hobby to 100 on Plus, and log retention grows from none to 48 hours.
- Device templates
- More than 400 device templates and ready decoders are listed, and data can stream in over MQTT or webhooks, which shortens setup for common sensors from known manufacturers.
- Dashboards and reports
- A dashboard builder is on the paid cards and a reporting engine arrives on Standard, so customers can receive scheduled summaries instead of logging in.
- White label and multi-tenancy
- White label is included from Light, with a custom version on Enterprise, and unlimited workspaces let an integrator keep customers separated inside one account. That separation helps when each customer needs its own devices and users.
- Network migration
- Documentation named on the home page covers moving from TTN, ChirpStack or Loriot, which helps teams who outgrow a community network. It is aimed at projects that started on a free community server.
How Datacake handles your data
The Datacake privacy policy gives a registered address in Vreden, Germany, and names Google Cloud services, with Google Ireland Limited as a service provider. The pages we read did not state a hosting region for customer data, a security certification or whether customer data trains the AI assistant. Data retention is tied to the plan: Hobby keeps one year, longer retention is available as an add-on up to two years, and dashboard edit backups run from 90 to 365 days on higher cards. Ask for a region and a processing agreement in writing.
Where Datacake falls short in practice
- Rule limits climb steeply. Hobby allows 5 advanced rules with no log retention, so debugging a rule that misfires is hard on the cheapest card, and the step to Light costs EUR 159 per month.
- Gaps in the published detail. The AI assistant, the API and the hosting region are not described on the pages we read, so a buyer who needs those facts has to ask the vendor directly.
Works with
Alternatives to Datacake
Datacake: common questions
How many devices does the free Datacake plan allow?
The pricing page lists 5 devices forever on the free plan. Beyond that, the Hobby card at EUR 25 per month covers up to 25 devices. The pages we read did not list rule or retention limits for the free plan itself.
Does Datacake charge per LoRaWAN gateway?
No, according to the home page, which offers a free LoRaWAN network server with unlimited gateways and no per-gateway fees. You pay per device on the card you choose, so a site with many gateways and few sensors stays cheap.
Can I resell Datacake dashboards under my own brand?
Yes, from the Light card at EUR 159 per month, which includes white label and unlimited workspaces. Enterprise adds custom white label. Check the card for the number of devices per workspace you will need before you promise customers a price.
Is yearly billing cheaper than monthly?
The pricing page says yearly pricing is eleven times the monthly rate, so one month is effectively free. Annual totals are shown on the page, and invoice payment is available for annual plans from the Standard card onward. Confirm the billing cycle at checkout.
Can I move sensors from The Things Network to Datacake?
The home page names a migration path from TTN, ChirpStack and Loriot. It does not give step-by-step detail in the text we read, so test the move with a few sensors and confirm that payload decoders match. Plan time for decoder checks.