A lightweight MQTT dashboard for visualizing and controlling IoT devices with minimal setup using JSON.
Crouton is an open-source IoT dashboard that connects to MQTT brokers to visualize and control connected devices. It solves the problem of quickly building interactive dashboards for IoT projects without writing custom frontend code, using a JSON-based protocol for device communication.
IoT hardware enthusiasts, makers, and developers working with devices like ESP8266 or Python scripts that support MQTT and JSON.
Developers choose Crouton for its zero-backend architecture, ease of setup, and rich prebuilt UI components that work out-of-the-box with any MQTT-compatible device.
Crouton MQTT IOT Dashboard
Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.
Operates purely in the browser by connecting directly to MQTT brokers, eliminating the need for server-side code or hosting, as highlighted in the 'No Backend Required' feature.
Devices define their interface through a straightforward JSON schema (deviceInfo), allowing quick integration without frontend development skills, as detailed in the DeviceInfo section.
Includes ready-to-use cards for common IoT tasks like sliders, toggles, charts, and RGB controls, enabling real-time monitoring and control out-of-the-box, with examples provided in the Dashboard Cards section.
Supports both monitoring device values and sending updates via MQTT, with automatic reconnection using Last Will and Testament, ensuring accurate device state reflection as described in the protocol.
Only compatible with MQTT brokers that support web sockets, limiting integration with brokers that lack this feature, as noted in the MQTT Broker section.
Dashboard cards are fixed to predefined types; creating new card types requires modifying the source code, which is complex and not covered in the documentation.
Defaults to using public MQTT brokers without built-in encryption or authentication, making it unsuitable for sensitive data or production environments, as mentioned in the broker recommendations.
Devices must handle MQTT and JSON encoding/decoding, adding overhead for devices using other protocols or requiring additional adapters, as implied in the Getting Started guide.