Modbus alternatives
As of 4 November 2026, 39 iot platforms protocols are named by companies instead of Modbus: CAN bus by 1,760 companies, SPI by 1,559, I2C by 1,515.
As of 4 November 2026 · refreshed daily · counts move as websites, DNS and career sites are re-read.
- Modbus, companies in postings
- 2,067
- Most used alternative
- CAN bus · 1,760
- Fastest hiring, 90 days
- CAN bus
- Alternatives ranked
- 39
- Catalogue
- T-1.0.1-prov
iot platforms protocols companies choose instead of Modbus
Companies naming each tool in their own postings, and postings in the last 90 days. Bars are relative to the category leader.
| # | Alternative | Companies | companies | vs Modbus | postings, 90 d | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CAN busISO | 1,760 | 85% | 5,610 | Modbus vs CAN bus → | |
| 2 | SPIMotorola | 1,559 | 75% | 4,935 | Modbus vs SPI → | |
| 3 | I2CNXP | 1,515 | 73% | 4,820 | Modbus vs I2C → | |
| 4 | UART(industry standard) | 1,237 | 60% | 3,224 | Modbus vs UART → | |
| 5 | MQTTOASIS | 1,201 | 58% | 2,656 | Modbus vs MQTT → | |
| 6 | EtherNet/IPODVA | 1,048 | 51% | 2,374 | Modbus vs EtherNet/IP → | |
| 7 | OPC UAOPC Foundation | 935 | 45% | 2,090 | Modbus vs OPC UA → | |
| 8 | PROFINETPROFIBUS & PROFINET International | 914 | 44% | 2,036 | Modbus vs PROFINET → | |
| 9 | PROFIBUSPROFIBUS & PROFINET International | 701 | 34% | 1,645 | Modbus vs PROFIBUS → | |
| 10 | BACnetASHRAE | 598 | 29% | 1,743 | Modbus vs BACnet → | |
| 11 | USBUSB Implementers Forum | 597 | 29% | 1,786 | Modbus vs USB → | |
| 12 | Bluetooth Low EnergyBluetooth SIG | 473 | 23% | 934 | Modbus vs Bluetooth Low Energy → | |
| 13 | RS-485TIA | 464 | 22% | 1,001 | Modbus vs RS-485 → | |
| 14 | OPC (OPC UA)OPC Foundation | 451 | 22% | 1,193 | Modbus vs OPC (OPC UA) → | |
| 15 | RS-232EIA | 446 | 22% | 1,038 | Modbus vs RS-232 → | |
| 16 | KNXKNX Association | 401 | 19% | 703 | Modbus vs KNX → | |
| 17 | EtherCATEtherCAT Technology Group | 378 | 18% | 884 | Modbus vs EtherCAT → | |
| 18 | BluetoothBluetooth SIG | 346 | 17% | 659 | Modbus vs Bluetooth → | |
| 19 | IEC 61850IEC | 324 | 16% | 1,126 | Modbus vs IEC 61850 → | |
| 20 | DNP3IEEE | 321 | 16% | 895 | Modbus vs DNP3 → | |
| 21 | DeviceNetODVA | 285 | 14% | 598 | Modbus vs DeviceNet → | |
| 22 | DDS (Data Distribution Service)Object Management Group | 280 | 14% | 663 | Modbus vs DDS (Data Distribution Service) → | |
| 23 | LIN BusLIN Consortium | 266 | 13% | 1,210 | Modbus vs LIN Bus → | |
| 24 | CAN FDBosch | 181 | 9% | 545 | Modbus vs CAN FD → | |
| 25 | RS-422TIA/EIA | 180 | 9% | 607 | Modbus vs RS-422 → | |
| 26 | SAE J1939SAE International | 179 | 9% | 468 | Modbus vs SAE J1939 → | |
| 27 | ZigbeeConnectivity Standards Alliance | 179 | 9% | 427 | Modbus vs Zigbee → | |
| 28 | 175 | 8% | 552 | Modbus vs UDS (ISO 14229) → | ||
| 29 | 168 | 8% | 380 | Modbus vs GPIO → | ||
| 30 | CANopenCAN in Automation | 162 | 8% | 293 | Modbus vs CANopen → | |
| 31 | NFCNFC Forum | 147 | 7% | 366 | Modbus vs NFC → | |
| 32 | DMX512USITT | 122 | 6% | 150 | soon | |
| 33 | LonWorksEchelon | 115 | 6% | 403 | soon | |
| 34 | ARINCSAE ITT | 114 | 6% | 492 | soon | |
| 35 | EcoStruxureSchneider Electric | 109 | 5% | 339 | soon | |
| 36 | LoRaWANLoRa Alliance | 108 | 5% | 185 | soon | |
| 37 | Azure IoT HubMicrosoft | 100 | 5% | 162 | soon | |
| 38 | DALIDiiA | 99 | 5% | 154 | soon | |
| 39 | HART ProtocolFieldComm Group | 99 | 5% | 265 | soon |
Filter on any of them, or on Modbus users who also name an alternative, and open the person who owns the stack.
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39 iot platforms protocols are named by companies instead of Modbus: CAN bus by 1,760 companies, SPI by 1,559, I2C by 1,515, measured from their own job postings. (Breaknorm, 4 November 2026, https://breaknorm.co/tools/modbus/alternatives)
Read from the source, not self-reported
Every number on this page can be traced to a page we crawled or a posting we read. Full methodology →
- RankingCompanies whose own postings name the tool as the team's system, from the Breaknorm technology catalogue T-1.0.1-prov. Editions are folded into their parent product.
- 90-day postingsOpen postings first seen or posted in the last 90 days that name the tool.
- Not includedRatings, prices, feature claims, sponsored positions.
Modbus alternatives: questions
What is the most used alternative to Modbus?
CAN bus: 1,760 companies name it in their own job postings, against 2,067 for Modbus.
How is this list ranked?
By the number of companies whose own postings name the tool as the team's system (Breaknorm technology catalogue T-1.0.1-prov), then by postings in the last 90 days. No ratings, no vendor input, no sponsored positions.
Does this say which is better?
No. It says who uses what, by company size, industry and country, so you can see which tools companies like yours choose. For features and prices, read the vendors.
Can I get the companies on any of these?
Yes: click the tool, see the first 20 companies, and sign up for the full list with verified e-mails. Counting is free.
Get these companies your way
The same data as a search, over MCP and the API, as bulk files, or pushed to you as it changes.
Every company on Modbus
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