Node-RED

What Node-RED is

Node-RED is a low-code programming tool for event-driven applications. You open its editor in a browser and build flows by dragging nodes onto a canvas and wiring them together: an MQTT input node receives a device reading, a function node checks and reshapes it, another node writes it to a database, and a dashboard node draws a chart. It is built on Node.js, runs well on low-cost hardware such as a Raspberry Pi as well as on servers and in the cloud, and is a project of the OpenJS Foundation. Thousands of community nodes add support for databases, messaging apps, industrial protocols and cloud services.

Why it is useful for IoT projects

Between a device and a finished app there is usually a lot of glue: subscribing to topics, validating messages, storing readings, sending alerts. Node-RED lets you build that glue visually and see messages flow through it while it runs, which makes it excellent for prototypes, gateways and final year project demonstrations. On a Raspberry Pi gateway it can sit next to a Mosquitto broker and handle everything locally, even without internet.

Dashboards: use the current package

The original dashboard package, node-red-dashboard, was formally deprecated in June 2024 because it was built on the long-unsupported AngularJS framework. Its successor is FlowFuse Dashboard (the @flowfuse/node-red-dashboard package, also called Dashboard 2.0), which adds responsive layouts and new widgets. Many older tutorials still show the deprecated package, so check which one a guide uses before following it.

Prerequisites and time

You do not need to be a JavaScript expert, though function nodes use JavaScript. Installing Node-RED and building a first MQTT-to-chart flow takes about an hour. The official documentation includes installation guides for local machines, Docker and Raspberry Pi.

What you can do with it

• Subscribe to MQTT topics and route, filter and transform device messages.
• Store readings in a database and trigger alerts to email or messaging apps.
• Build a live dashboard with FlowFuse Dashboard.
• Export flows as JSON and keep them in Git with the rest of your project.

Free or paid?

Node-RED is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 licence. FlowFuse and cloud providers offer paid hosting and team features, which you do not need to learn or build a project.

Common questions

Is it only for prototypes? Many people run it in production for gateways and automation, but secure the editor with a password before exposing it on any network.

Can it replace a custom backend? For many small systems, yes. For large or customer-facing systems, it often sits alongside one.

Best for: IoT learners who want a working data pipeline and dashboard quickly, especially on a Raspberry Pi.