Eclipse Mosquitto
MQTT broker for IoT messaging inside the building network
oss-osi-approved stub guideOverview
Mosquitto is a lightweight MQTT broker. It underpins many sensor and access prototypes in flexible workspaces when segmented properly on the network.
At a glance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Categories | iot-sensors, network-wifi |
| Deployment | self-hosted |
| License class | oss-osi-approved (EPL-2.0) |
| Cost model | free-self-hosted |
| Implementation difficulty | moderate |
| Maintenance burden | medium |
| Maturity | stable |
| Verification | partially-verified (2026-07-17) |
Cost reality
Free software; network design and ACLs matter more than license cost.
Pricing and free-tier limits change frequently; re-check official pricing before budget decisions.
Tasks reduced or augmented
Software does not replace community or ops staff. It may reduce or augment:
- IoT message transport
- Decoupling sensors from apps
Human oversight still needed
- Authentication/ACL
- TLS on untrusted networks
Data held
-
MQTT topics/payloads
-
connection logs
-
Personal data: no / limited
-
Payment data: no / not primary
Risks
| Area | Notes |
|---|---|
| Vendor lock-in | Evaluate export formats and API completeness before deep customization. |
| Security | Apply updates promptly; restrict admin access; enable TLS. |
| Compliance | Operator remains responsible for privacy and local regulatory obligations. |
| Licensing | Confirm license fits commercial coworking use. |
| Operational | Plan backups, monitoring, and a restore drill before production use. |
Coworking fit
Roles: technical-operator, facilities
Workflows: facility-maintenance, access-provisioning
Problems: integrate-stack, self-host-for-data-control
Smallest useful experiment
Run Mosquitto on a VLAN-isolated host and publish/subscribe temperature readings from one sensor.
Typical time to first value: 1–3 days
Links
Implementation guide
See the human-written implementation guide.
Verification
- Status:
partially-verified - Last reviewed:
2026-07-17 - Sources:
Seed entry compiled from official project sites and repositories. Re-verify pricing, license text, and feature claims before production decisions. Star counts and free-tier numeric limits intentionally omitted unless verified at review time.