openBalena provides an open-source solution for organizations and developers to host their own device deployment and management server for connected IoT devices. It serves as a comprehensive platform for deploying and managing device fleets, built upon battle-tested components that have been run in production for years. Devices managed by openBalena run balenaOS, a specialized host operating system optimized for running containers on IoT devices. Management is facilitated through the balena CLI, which allows users to configure application containers, push updates, check device status, and view logs remotely. The platform's backend services are designed to securely and reliably store device information, enable remote management via a built-in VPN service, and efficiently distribute container images to devices. A primary motivation behind openBalena's release is to empower developers with the ability to manage their own device fleets, mitigating fears of vendor lock-in and removing barriers to entry and exit. It also aims to foster community contributions to the codebase, allowing users to fix issues and add features independently. openBalena continues to evolve in lockstep with balenaCloud, with much of its development process conducted openly to continuously improve both the open-source project and the hosted service. It allows for iterative development, confident deployment, and management at scale, supporting fleets from a single device to millions.

Features & Benefits

• Scalability
  • Enables the deployment and management of IoT device fleets ranging from a single device to millions, adapting to varying project sizes.
• Extensible API & SDK
  • Provides a powerful API and SDK, allowing developers to extend and customize openBalena to fit specific operational requirements and integrate with existing workflows.
• Remote Software Updates
  • Facilitates easy, remote over-the-air (OTA) updates for device software with a single command, ensuring devices are always running the latest versions.
• Container-Based Architecture
  • Leverages containerization, optimized for edge devices, to provide robust, isolated, and portable application environments.
• Built-in VPN Service
  • Offers a built-in VPN to securely access and manage devices regardless of their network environment, enhancing remote control capabilities.
• Simplified Device Provisioning
  • Streamlines the process of adding new devices to the managed fleet, making setup quick and straightforward.
• Open Source & Self-Hostable
  • Mitigates vendor lock-in by allowing users to host their own device management server and encourages community contributions to the codebase for continuous improvement.
• Comprehensive Fleet Management Capabilities
  • Supports the entire lifecycle of IoT fleet management.
  • Develop iteratively
  • Deploy with confidence
  • Manage at scale