Tool profile
Golioth: cost, fit and limits
Golioth is a device cloud for embedded teams, now part of Canonical, that provides secure device connectivity, over-the-air updates, data pipelines and time-series storage, billed by usage rather than by fixed platform tier. It is aimed at firmware engineers and fleet owners.
What to know first
Golioth charges for what devices actually use: USD 0.25 per active connection per month, USD 0.0095 per MB of over-the-air update bandwidth, USD 0.0080 per MB of pipeline data and small per-MB or per-request fees for logs, storage and location. New users receive USD 50 in credits for prototyping. The home page also lists Golioth for AI, which runs inference on devices, in the cloud or across systems.
Golioth at a glance
| Maker | Golioth, now part of Canonical (per the vendor site), Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Free trial only |
| Entry price | USD 0.25 per active connection per month |
| API access | Yes |
| Category | Best AI IoT Platforms in 2026, rank 4 of 13 |
| Website | golioth.io/ |
Who Golioth is best for
Zephyr firmware teams
The site lists Zephyr-based reference designs and training, and a single console and API handle updates and device management, so embedded engineers stay in one workflow.
Prototypes with a handful of devices
Usage billing with USD 50 in free credits means a bench setup costs almost nothing, and there is no tier to outgrow while fleets are small.
Teams routing data into existing clouds
YAML-based pipelines route and transform device data to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud or a custom API, so the device cloud can feed a data lake already in place.
Golioth plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Connect | USD 0.25 per connection | Secure device connectivity and identity, charged per active device per month. It is the base meter that every connected unit triggers. |
| Fleet Control | USD 0.0095 per MB | Over-the-air software updates and device management, billed by update bandwidth. A small patch to a big fleet costs less than a full image. |
| Pipelines | USD 0.0080 per MB | Route, transform and stream device data, billed by total data processed and delivered. Self-service users can pay as low as USD 0.008 per MB for streaming. |
| Application Services | USD 0.001 per MB, or USD 0.005 per request | Logs and LightDB Stream long-term retention per MB, and Location API billed per request. Retention fees apply only beyond the included days. |
Checked November 2026.
What Golioth does
- Fleet Control
- Over-the-air updates and device management run through one console and one API, and billing follows update bandwidth, so a small patch to a large fleet costs less than a full image.
- Pipelines
- Pipelines are written in YAML and forward device data to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud or custom endpoints, which keeps storage and analytics choices outside the device cloud.
- Golioth for AI
- The home page describes AI orchestration that runs inference on the device, in the cloud or across both, but the pages read did not detail supported models.
- LightDB Stream and Logs
- Fourteen days of logs and 30 days of LightDB Stream time series are included, and longer retention is billed per MB. A device fleet that needs longer histories can export through a pipeline.
- Reference designs
- Zephyr-based reference designs and training are listed on the site, which lowers the work needed to bring up a first connected board. That helps a team reach a first working prototype sooner.
How Golioth handles your data
The pricing page includes 14 days of log retention and 30 days of LightDB Stream retention, with longer retention billed per MB. Golioth describes itself as part of Canonical and claims enterprise-grade reliability, but the pages we read did not name a security certification, a hosting region or the legal entity and headquarters. They also did not say whether customer data trains the AI orchestration features. A buyer with data residency rules should request region details and a data processing agreement before connecting production devices.
Where Golioth falls short in practice
- Several meters to forecast. Connections, update bandwidth, pipeline data and storage are billed separately, so the monthly total depends on how often devices report and how large each firmware image is.
- Little dashboard tooling. The pages read describe connectivity, updates, pipelines and storage, not a drag-and-drop dashboard builder, so end-user dashboards usually come from another tool fed by a pipeline.
Works with
Alternatives to Golioth
Golioth: common questions
How is Golioth billed?
Golioth bills by usage. Connections cost USD 0.25 per active device per month, updates USD 0.0095 per MB, pipelines USD 0.0080 per MB, and retention or location calls carry small per-MB or per-request fees. New users receive USD 50 in credits.
Is there a discount for annual contracts?
The pricing page says annual contracts can save up to an additional 10% when you pre-pay. It does not give a minimum commitment in the text we read, so ask the vendor about thresholds. Treat the 10% as an upper bound until you have a written quote.
How much data retention is included?
Fourteen days of logs and 30 days of LightDB Stream are included. Longer retention is billed at USD 0.001 per MB. If you need long histories, send data through a pipeline to your own storage instead of keeping it in the device cloud.
Can Golioth send data to AWS or Azure?
Yes, pipelines route, transform and stream device data to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud or a custom API using YAML configuration. That keeps your analytics stack independent from the device cloud. Pipelines can also forward the same data to a custom API.
What is Golioth for AI?
The home page describes AI orchestration that runs inference on the device, in the cloud and across customer systems. The pages read did not list supported models or pricing for it, so request a demo or documentation for details. Ask whether on-device inference is metered separately.