RS-485 alternatives
As of 4 November 2026, 39 iot platforms protocols are named by companies instead of RS-485: Modbus by 2,067 companies, CAN bus by 1,760, SPI by 1,559.
As of 4 November 2026 · refreshed daily · counts move as websites, DNS and career sites are re-read.
- RS-485, companies in postings
- 464
- Most used alternative
- Modbus · 2,067
- Fastest hiring, 90 days
- Modbus
- Alternatives ranked
- 39
- Catalogue
- T-1.0.1-prov
iot platforms protocols companies choose instead of RS-485
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 RS-485 | postings, 90 d | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ModbusModbus Organization | 2,067 | 445% | 5,698 | RS-485 vs Modbus → | |
| 2 | CAN busISO | 1,760 | 379% | 5,610 | RS-485 vs CAN bus → | |
| 3 | SPIMotorola | 1,559 | 336% | 4,935 | RS-485 vs SPI → | |
| 4 | I2CNXP | 1,515 | 327% | 4,820 | RS-485 vs I2C → | |
| 5 | UART(industry standard) | 1,237 | 267% | 3,224 | RS-485 vs UART → | |
| 6 | MQTTOASIS | 1,201 | 259% | 2,656 | RS-485 vs MQTT → | |
| 7 | EtherNet/IPODVA | 1,048 | 226% | 2,374 | RS-485 vs EtherNet/IP → | |
| 8 | OPC UAOPC Foundation | 935 | 202% | 2,090 | RS-485 vs OPC UA → | |
| 9 | PROFINETPROFIBUS & PROFINET International | 914 | 197% | 2,036 | RS-485 vs PROFINET → | |
| 10 | PROFIBUSPROFIBUS & PROFINET International | 701 | 151% | 1,645 | RS-485 vs PROFIBUS → | |
| 11 | BACnetASHRAE | 598 | 129% | 1,743 | RS-485 vs BACnet → | |
| 12 | USBUSB Implementers Forum | 597 | 129% | 1,786 | RS-485 vs USB → | |
| 13 | Bluetooth Low EnergyBluetooth SIG | 473 | 102% | 934 | RS-485 vs Bluetooth Low Energy → | |
| 14 | OPC (OPC UA)OPC Foundation | 451 | 97% | 1,193 | RS-485 vs OPC (OPC UA) → | |
| 15 | RS-232EIA | 446 | 96% | 1,038 | RS-485 vs RS-232 → | |
| 16 | KNXKNX Association | 401 | 86% | 703 | RS-485 vs KNX → | |
| 17 | EtherCATEtherCAT Technology Group | 378 | 81% | 884 | RS-485 vs EtherCAT → | |
| 18 | BluetoothBluetooth SIG | 346 | 75% | 659 | RS-485 vs Bluetooth → | |
| 19 | IEC 61850IEC | 324 | 70% | 1,126 | RS-485 vs IEC 61850 → | |
| 20 | DNP3IEEE | 321 | 69% | 895 | RS-485 vs DNP3 → | |
| 21 | DeviceNetODVA | 285 | 61% | 598 | RS-485 vs DeviceNet → | |
| 22 | DDS (Data Distribution Service)Object Management Group | 280 | 60% | 663 | RS-485 vs DDS (Data Distribution Service) → | |
| 23 | LIN BusLIN Consortium | 266 | 57% | 1,210 | RS-485 vs LIN Bus → | |
| 24 | CAN FDBosch | 181 | 39% | 545 | RS-485 vs CAN FD → | |
| 25 | RS-422TIA/EIA | 180 | 39% | 607 | RS-485 vs RS-422 → | |
| 26 | SAE J1939SAE International | 179 | 39% | 468 | RS-485 vs SAE J1939 → | |
| 27 | ZigbeeConnectivity Standards Alliance | 179 | 39% | 427 | RS-485 vs Zigbee → | |
| 28 | 175 | 38% | 552 | RS-485 vs UDS (ISO 14229) → | ||
| 29 | 168 | 36% | 380 | RS-485 vs GPIO → | ||
| 30 | CANopenCAN in Automation | 162 | 35% | 293 | RS-485 vs CANopen → | |
| 31 | NFCNFC Forum | 147 | 32% | 366 | RS-485 vs NFC → | |
| 32 | DMX512USITT | 122 | 26% | 150 | soon | |
| 33 | LonWorksEchelon | 115 | 25% | 403 | soon | |
| 34 | ARINCSAE ITT | 114 | 25% | 492 | soon | |
| 35 | EcoStruxureSchneider Electric | 109 | 23% | 339 | soon | |
| 36 | LoRaWANLoRa Alliance | 108 | 23% | 185 | soon | |
| 37 | Azure IoT HubMicrosoft | 100 | 22% | 162 | soon | |
| 38 | DALIDiiA | 99 | 21% | 154 | soon | |
| 39 | HART ProtocolFieldComm Group | 99 | 21% | 265 | soon |
Filter on any of them, or on RS-485 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 RS-485: Modbus by 2,067 companies, CAN bus by 1,760, SPI by 1,559, measured from their own job postings. (Breaknorm, 4 November 2026, https://breaknorm.co/tools/rs-485/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.
RS-485 alternatives: questions
What is the most used alternative to RS-485?
Modbus: 2,067 companies name it in their own job postings, against 464 for RS-485.
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 RS-485
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