Hologram.io vs Verizon ThingSpace

[JohnPiantanida]

I decided to get a FiPy to try and configure a gateway type device for a sensor network using LoPy4 and ESP8266 devices. Basically it would poll the nodes, and pass that info along via LTE for logging and processing in other systems. I have a Hologram.io SIM and a Nimbelink (for Verizon) SIM. They were cheap (or free + shipping) so I wanted to hedge my bets and got both.

Which environment would you recommend for a hobbyist? Key points being cost and ease of use. Once again, this is a hobby level project, nothing that anyone will be getting rich from and one I don't want to get poor from.

Thanks in advance for any input...

[panda]

I have been using Hologram for a few months across several devices. I have been very pleased with the coverage and features like the messaging api, webhooks and secure tunneling tools which make integration and remote maintenance of the pycom devices pretty easy.

I have not used the Verizon product, but with Hologram you can leverage Verizon as well as other carriers.

[JohnPiantanida]

@panda Thanks for the input.

My first thought was Hologram due to lower cost to get started. Long term commitment to data plan is another issue which I am not sure of. At this point, I am going to be trying lots of different things to arrive at a configuration that works for me.

In a perfect world (lots of time and money) I would try both with two different setups connecting to the same sensor network and using the same code. Since my world is far from perfect, I thought I would ask. Hearing your experience with Hologram helps... functionality is also high on the list, and it seems like it is working good for you.