diff --git a/esphome/components/mqtt/custom_mqtt_device.cpp b/esphome/components/mqtt/custom_mqtt_device.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8b17c5f17f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esphome/components/mqtt/custom_mqtt_device.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#include "custom_mqtt_device.h"
+#include "esphome/core/log.h"
+
+namespace esphome {
+namespace mqtt {
+
+static const char *TAG = "mqtt.custom";
+
+bool CustomMQTTDevice::publish(const std::string &topic, const std::string &payload, uint8_t qos, bool retain) {
+  return global_mqtt_client->publish(topic, payload, qos, retain);
+}
+bool CustomMQTTDevice::publish(const std::string &topic, float value, int8_t number_decimals) {
+  auto str = value_accuracy_to_string(value, number_decimals);
+  return this->publish(topic, str);
+}
+bool CustomMQTTDevice::publish(const std::string &topic, int value) {
+  char buffer[24];
+  sprintf(buffer, "%d", value);
+  return this->publish(topic, buffer);
+}
+bool CustomMQTTDevice::publish_json(const std::string &topic, const json::json_build_t &f, uint8_t qos, bool retain) {
+  return global_mqtt_client->publish_json(topic, f, qos, retain);
+}
+bool CustomMQTTDevice::publish_json(const std::string &topic, const json::json_build_t &f) {
+  return this->publish_json(topic, f, 0, false);
+}
+bool CustomMQTTDevice::is_connected() { return global_mqtt_client != nullptr && global_mqtt_client->is_connected(); }
+
+}  // namespace mqtt
+}  // namespace esphome
diff --git a/esphome/components/mqtt/custom_mqtt_device.h b/esphome/components/mqtt/custom_mqtt_device.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1c8b2e916e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/esphome/components/mqtt/custom_mqtt_device.h
@@ -0,0 +1,217 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "esphome/core/component.h"
+#include "mqtt_client.h"
+
+namespace esphome {
+namespace mqtt {
+
+/** This class is a helper class for custom components that communicate using
+ * MQTT. It has 5 helper functions that you can use (square brackets indicate optional):
+ *
+ *  - `subscribe(topic, function_pointer, [qos])`
+ *  - `subscribe_json(topic, function_pointer, [qos])`
+ *  - `publish(topic, payload, [qos], [retain])`
+ *  - `publish_json(topic, payload_builder, [qos], [retain])`
+ *  - `is_connected()`
+ */
+class CustomMQTTDevice {
+ public:
+  /** Subscribe to an MQTT topic with the given Quality of Service.
+   *
+   * Example:
+   *
+   * ```cpp
+   * class MyCustomMQTTDevice : public Component, public mqtt:CustomMQTTDevice {
+   *  public:
+   *   void setup() override {
+   *     subscribe("the/topic", &MyCustomMQTTDevice::on_message);
+   *     pinMode(5, OUTPUT);
+   *   }
+   *
+   *   // topic and payload parameters can be removed if not needed
+   *   // e.g: void on_message() {
+   *
+   *   void on_message(const std::string &topic, const std::string &payload) {
+   *     // do something with topic and payload
+   *     if (payload == "ON") {
+   *       digitalWrite(5, HIGH);
+   *     } else {
+   *       digitalWrite(5, LOW);
+   *     }
+   *   }
+   * };
+   * ```
+   *
+   * @tparam T A C++ template argument for determining the type of the callback.
+   * @param topic The topic to subscribe to. Re-subscription on re-connects is automatically handled.
+   * @param callback The callback (must be a class member) to subscribe with.
+   * @param qos The Quality of Service to subscribe with. Defaults to 0.
+   */
+  template<typename T>
+  void subscribe(const std::string &topic, void (T::*callback)(const std::string &, const std::string &),
+                 uint8_t qos = 0);
+
+  template<typename T>
+  void subscribe(const std::string &topic, void (T::*callback)(const std::string &), uint8_t qos = 0);
+
+  template<typename T> void subscribe(const std::string &topic, void (T::*callback)(), uint8_t qos = 0);
+
+  /** Subscribe to an MQTT topic and call the callback if the payload can be decoded
+   * as JSON with the given Quality of Service.
+   *
+   * Example:
+   *
+   * ```cpp
+   * class MyCustomMQTTDevice : public Component, public mqtt:CustomMQTTDevice {
+   *  public:
+   *   void setup() override {
+   *     subscribe_json("the/topic", &MyCustomMQTTDevice::on_json_message);
+   *     pinMode(5, OUTPUT);
+   *   }
+   *
+   *   // topic parameter can be remove if not needed:
+   *   // e.g.: void on_json_message(JsonObject &payload) {
+   *
+   *   void on_json_message(const std::string &topic, JsonObject &payload) {
+   *     // do something with topic and payload
+   *     if (payload["number"] == 1) {
+   *       digitalWrite(5, HIGH);
+   *     } else {
+   *       digitalWrite(5, LOW);
+   *     }
+   *   }
+   * };
+   * ```
+   *
+   * @tparam T A C++ template argument for determining the type of the callback.
+   * @param topic The topic to subscribe to. Re-subscription on re-connects is automatically handled.
+   * @param callback The callback (must be a class member) to subscribe with.
+   * @param qos The Quality of Service to subscribe with. Defaults to 0.
+   */
+  template<typename T>
+  void subscribe_json(const std::string &topic, void (T::*callback)(const std::string &, JsonObject &),
+                      uint8_t qos = 0);
+
+  template<typename T>
+  void subscribe_json(const std::string &topic, void (T::*callback)(JsonObject &), uint8_t qos = 0);
+
+  /** Publish an MQTT message with the given payload and QoS and retain settings.
+   *
+   * Example:
+   *
+   * ```cpp
+   * void in_some_method() {
+   *   publish("the/topic", "The Payload", 0, true);
+   * }
+   * ```
+   *
+   * @param topic The topic to publish to.
+   * @param payload The payload to publish.
+   * @param qos The Quality of Service to publish with. Defaults to 0
+   * @param retain Whether to retain the message. Defaults to false.
+   */
+  bool publish(const std::string &topic, const std::string &payload, uint8_t qos = 0, bool retain = false);
+
+  /** Publish an MQTT message with the given floating point number and number of decimals.
+   *
+   * Example:
+   *
+   * ```cpp
+   * void in_some_method() {
+   *   publish("the/topic", 1.0);
+   *   // with two digits after the decimal point
+   *   publish("the/topic", 1.0, 2);
+   * }
+   * ```
+   *
+   * @param topic The topic to publish to.
+   * @param payload The payload to publish.
+   * @param number_decimals The number of digits after the decimal point to round to, defaults to 3 digits.
+   */
+  bool publish(const std::string &topic, float value, int8_t number_decimals = 3);
+
+  /** Publish an MQTT message with the given integer as payload.
+   *
+   * Example:
+   *
+   * ```cpp
+   * void in_some_method() {
+   *   publish("the/topic", 42);
+   * }
+   * ```
+   *
+   * @param topic The topic to publish to.
+   * @param payload The payload to publish.
+   */
+  bool publish(const std::string &topic, int value);
+
+  /** Publish a JSON-encoded MQTT message with the given Quality of Service and retain settings.
+   *
+   * Example:
+   *
+   * ```cpp
+   * void in_some_method() {
+   *   publish("the/topic", [=](JsonObject &root) {
+   *     root["the_key"] = "Hello World!";
+   *   }, 0, false);
+   * }
+   * ```
+   *
+   * @param topic The topic to publish to.
+   * @param payload The payload to publish.
+   * @param qos The Quality of Service to publish with.
+   * @param retain Whether to retain the message.
+   */
+  bool publish_json(const std::string &topic, const json::json_build_t &f, uint8_t qos, bool retain);
+
+  /** Publish a JSON-encoded MQTT message.
+   *
+   * Example:
+   *
+   * ```cpp
+   * void in_some_method() {
+   *   publish("the/topic", [=](JsonObject &root) {
+   *     root["the_key"] = "Hello World!";
+   *   });
+   * }
+   * ```
+   *
+   * @param topic The topic to publish to.
+   * @param payload The payload to publish.
+   */
+  bool publish_json(const std::string &topic, const json::json_build_t &f);
+
+  /// Check whether the MQTT client is currently connected and messages can be published.
+  bool is_connected();
+};
+
+template<typename T>
+void CustomMQTTDevice::subscribe(const std::string &topic,
+                                 void (T::*callback)(const std::string &, const std::string &), uint8_t qos) {
+  auto f = std::bind(callback, (T *) this, std::placeholders::_1, std::placeholders::_2);
+  global_mqtt_client->subscribe(topic, f, qos);
+}
+template<typename T>
+void CustomMQTTDevice::subscribe(const std::string &topic, void (T::*callback)(const std::string &), uint8_t qos) {
+  auto f = std::bind(callback, (T *) this, std::placeholders::_2);
+  global_mqtt_client->subscribe(topic, f, qos);
+}
+template<typename T> void CustomMQTTDevice::subscribe(const std::string &topic, void (T::*callback)(), uint8_t qos) {
+  auto f = std::bind(callback, (T *) this);
+  global_mqtt_client->subscribe(topic, f, qos);
+}
+template<typename T>
+void CustomMQTTDevice::subscribe_json(const std::string &topic, void (T::*callback)(const std::string &, JsonObject &),
+                                      uint8_t qos) {
+  auto f = std::bind(callback, (T *) this, std::placeholders::_1, std::placeholders::_2);
+  global_mqtt_client->subscribe_json(topic, f, qos);
+}
+template<typename T>
+void CustomMQTTDevice::subscribe_json(const std::string &topic, void (T::*callback)(JsonObject &), uint8_t qos) {
+  auto f = std::bind(callback, (T *) this, std::placeholders::_2);
+  global_mqtt_client->subscribe_json(topic, f, qos);
+}
+
+}  // namespace mqtt
+}  // namespace esphome