LoRaWAN vs Cellular IoT: Choosing the Right Connectivity for Remote Monitoring

Selecting the right connectivity is one of the most important decisions when deploying remote monitoring systems. Whether you are monitoring tanks, soil, weather, equipment, refrigeration, or industrial assets, the choice between LoRaWAN and Cellular (Direct-to-Cloud) will impact cost, scalability, reliability, and long-term performance.

At ProSense, we design and deploy solutions using both LoRaWAN and cellular IoT, and we are platform-agnostic by design. This guide explains the differences, strengths, and real-world use cases to help you choose the right approach.

What Is LoRaWAN?

LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is a low-power wireless communication protocol designed for connecting many battery-powered sensors over long distances.

LoRaWAN systems typically consist of:

• Low-power sensors

• One or more LoRaWAN gateways

• A network server (cloud or on-premise)

• A dashboard or application layer

Key Characteristics

• Very low power consumption (multi-year battery life)

• Long range (kilometres, line-of-sight)

• One gateway can support hundreds to thousands of sensors

• Ideal for large sites and multi-asset deployments

What Is Cellular Direct-to-Cloud IoT?

Cellular IoT devices use mobile networks (4G LTE-M, NB-IoT, or LTE Cat-1) to send data directly from the sensor to the cloud using a SIM card.

Each device connects independently, without the need for a local gateway.

Key Characteristics

• Simple deployment (sensor + SIM + cloud)

• No gateway required

• Works wherever mobile coverage exists

• Higher power consumption than LoRaWAN

• Per-device data plans apply

LoRaWAN vs Cellular: Core Differences

Feature	LoRaWAN	Cellular IoT
Power consumption	Very low	Moderate
Battery life	3–10+ years	1–5 years
Infrastructure	Gateway required	No gateway
Scalability	Excellent (many sensors)	Good (per-device cost)
Setup complexity	Medium	Very low
Coverage	Site-wide / private	Mobile network dependent
Ongoing costs	Low	SIM/data fees
Best for	Large sites, many sensors	Single or remote sensors

When LoRaWAN Is the Better Choice

LoRaWAN is typically preferred when:

• Monitoring many sensors across a single site

• Deploying farm-wide, industrial, or council-scale networks

• Long battery life is critical

• Minimal ongoing data costs are required

• A private or controlled network is desired

Common LoRaWAN Applications

• Smart farms and agriculture

• Tank level monitoring across properties

• Environmental and weather monitoring

• Industrial sensor networks

• Councils and smart city deployments

With LoRaWAN, a single gateway can cover:

• Entire farms

• Industrial facilities

• Remote sites with limited infrastructure

When Cellular IoT Is the Better Choice

Cellular direct-to-cloud is often preferred when:

• Monitoring one or a small number of assets

• Sites are geographically spread

• Rapid deployment is required

• No gateway installation is practical

• Mobile coverage is available

Common Cellular Applications

• Remote tank monitoring

• Cold chain and refrigeration monitoring

• Mobile assets and temporary sites

• Water and wastewater assets

• Construction and short-term projects

Cellular solutions are often the fastest to deploy, making them ideal for pilots or urgent rollouts.

Cost Considerations: Short Term vs Long Term

LoRaWAN Costs

• Upfront gateway cost

• Low sensor cost

• Minimal ongoing network fees

• Best ROI at scale

Cellular Costs

• No gateway cost

• SIM/data cost per device

• Higher long-term operating costs for large fleets

In many real-world deployments, ProSense customers start with cellular sensors, then migrate to LoRaWAN as the number of monitored assets grows.

Hybrid Approaches: Best of Both Worlds

Many ProSense systems use a hybrid architecture, combining:

• Cellular sensors for isolated or mobile assets

• LoRaWAN sensors for dense, site-based monitoring

• A single dashboard for all data

This approach delivers flexibility while avoiding vendor lock-in.

Integration & Software Considerations

Regardless of connectivity type, data must be:

• Visualised

• Stored

• Alerted on

• Reported

ProSense systems can:

• Integrate with existing SCADA, BMS, or third-party platforms

• Be delivered with ProSight by ProSense, our monitoring and control software

• Support dashboards, alarms, reports, and APIs

Connectivity should never limit your software or data ownership.

Which Should You Choose?

There is no single “best” option — only the right option for your application.

Choose LoRaWAN if you are:

• Monitoring many sensors

• Operating a large site

• Optimising long-term costs

Choose Cellular if you are:

• Monitoring isolated assets

• Deploying quickly

• Avoiding gateway infrastructure

Choose both if you need flexibility and scalability.

Why ProSense?

ProSense designs solutions based on real operational requirements, not marketing trends.

We provide:

• LoRaWAN sensors and gateways

• Cellular direct-to-cloud sensors

• Hybrid architectures

• Local RTUs and control systems

• Software integration or ProSight platform delivery

Our role is to help you deploy the right technology, at the right scale, with the right long-term outcome.

Need Help Choosing?

If you’re planning a monitoring project and unsure whether LoRaWAN or cellular is the right fit, our team can assess:

• Asset count

• Site layout

• Power availability

• Connectivity coverage

• Budget and expansion plans

Explore our solutions or contact us for guidance:www.prosense.com.au