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Freeboard

Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb

What Freeboard is

Freeboard is a free, open-source dashboard builder and viewer for IoT projects and other web mashups. Its HTML layout engine connects data sources to display widgets, creating interactive dashboards with scheduled refresh and embedded-dashboard support. The application can run as a single-page static web app in a browser without a server, including from a local hard drive by opening index.html. Documented data sources include JSON, Open Weather Map API, Dweet.io, Playback, Clock, and Octoblu. JavaScript plugins can add sources that fetch data and widgets that display information, with settings for text, calculated values, booleans, dropdown options, and arrays. A JavaScript API can initialize, load, serialize, and control dashboards, and register source and widget plugins. The project uses an MIT license and is available for web, API, and self-hosted use. It is described as a possible front end for embedded devices with limited ability to serve complex, dynamic pages. The client-side project does not include server-side user management, database saving, or public/private functionality.

Who it suits

Freeboard suits developers building browser-based IoT dashboards or web mashups with configurable plugins and data sources. It is also relevant for embedded devices that need a lightweight front end.

What it does well

Free and MIT licensed
Runs in a browser without a server
Scheduled refresh and embedded dashboards
Plugin-based data sources and widgets
JavaScript API for dashboard control

What to know first

No server-side user management
No database saving included
No public/private functionality
Chrome may encounter local CORS issues

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Freeboard open-source software	Open-source dashboard client · server-side user management, database saving, and public/private functionality are not included	Free

As freeboard.github.io lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

Freeboard provides a lightweight, extensible dashboard client that can run locally or be self-hosted. Its lack of server-side management and possible local Chrome CORS issues matter for deployment planning.

Facts from Freeboard's own pages

API: Its JavaScript API can initialize, load, serialize, and control dashboards, and register data-source and widget plugins. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Browser limitation: The repository warns that Chrome may encounter CORS issues with JSON APIs when Freeboard is opened from a local hard drive. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Dashboard engine: It provides an HTML-based dashboard layout engine that connects data sources with display widgets. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Dashboard type: interactive · freeboard.github.io, 20 Sept 2026
Data sources: JSON,Open Weather Map API,Dweet.io,Playback,Clock,Octoblu · freeboard.github.io, 20 Sept 2026
Embedded dashboards: Yes · freeboard.github.io, 20 Sept 2026
Free plan: Yes · freeboard.github.io, 20 Sept 2026
Integration approach: The plugin documentation gives JSON APIs as an example data source and describes refreshing data through a callback. · freeboard.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
Intended use: The repository describes Freeboard as a possible front end for embedded devices with limited ability to serve complex and dynamic web pages. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
License: The repository identifies Freeboard as open source and lists an MIT license. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Local use: The project says Freeboard can run from a local hard drive by opening index.html. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Platform: web · freeboard.github.io, 20 Sept 2026
Plugins: JavaScript plugins can add data sources that fetch data and widgets that display it. · freeboard.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
Plugin settings: Plugin settings support text, calculated values, booleans, dropdown options, and arrays. · freeboard.github.io, 9 Oct 2026
Purpose: Freeboard is an open-source real-time dashboard builder and viewer for IoT and other web mashups. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Runs in browser: It can run as a single-page static web app in a browser without a server. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Scheduled refresh: Yes · freeboard.github.io, 20 Sept 2026
Server-side limit: The repository says the client-side project does not include server-side user management, database saving, or public/private functionality. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026

Where Freeboard stands on Freedom251

Data Visualization Software#44 of 98