{"id":1668,"date":"2022-11-09T20:53:38","date_gmt":"2022-11-09T12:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.strongd.net\/?p=1668"},"modified":"2022-11-09T20:53:38","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T12:53:38","slug":"esp32-vs-esp8266-pros-and-cons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strongd.net\/?p=1668","title":{"rendered":"ESP32 vs ESP8266 \u2013 Pros and Cons"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"ESP32-vs-ESP8266\"<\/div>\n

What\u2019s the difference between ESP32 and ESP8266? Should you use the ESP32 or the ESP8266 in your projects? In this article, we\u2019ll compare the ESP32 with the ESP8266 and cover the pros and cons of each board.<\/p>\n

The ESP32 and ESP8266 are cheap Wi-Fi modules perfectly suited for DIY projects in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Home Automation fields.<\/p>\n

Both chips have a 32-bit processor. The\u00a0ESP32 is a dual-core<\/a>\u00a0160MHz to 240MHz CPU, whereas the ESP8266 is a single-core processor that runs at 80MHz.<\/p>\n

These modules come with GPIOs that support various protocols like SPI, I2C, UART, ADC, DAC, and PWM. The best part is that these boards come with wireless networking included, which makes them apart from other microcontrollers like the\u00a0Arduino<\/a>. This means that you can easily control and monitor devices remotely via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (in the case of ESP32) for a very low price.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, if you don\u2019t need to use its wireless capabilities, you can use the ESP32\/ESP8266 to control inputs and outputs as you would do with an Arduino. However, you should take into account that whereas the Arduino works with 5V logic, the ESP32 and ESP8266 work at 3.3V.<\/p>\n

Specifications: ESP32 vs ESP8266<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0ESP32<\/a>\u00a0is the\u00a0ESP8266<\/a>\u00a0successor. It adds an\u00a0extra CPU core<\/a>, faster\u00a0Wi-Fi<\/a>, more GPIOs, and supports Bluetooth 4.2 and Bluetooth low energy. Additionally, the ESP32 comes with\u00a0touch-sensitive pins<\/a>\u00a0that can be used to\u00a0wake up the ESP32 from deep sleep<\/a>, a\u00a0built-in hall effect sensor<\/a>, and a built-in temperature sensor (recent versions of the ESP32 don\u2019t come with a built-in temperature sensor anymore).<\/p>\n

Both boards are cheap, but the ESP32 costs slightly more. While the ESP32 can cost around $6 to $12, the ESP8266 can cost $4 to $6 (but it really depends on where you get them and what model you\u2019re buying).<\/p>\n

The following table shows the main differences between the ESP8266 and the ESP32 chips (table adapted from\u00a0AMICA_IO<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/th>\n\n
ESP8266<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/th>\n
\n
ESP32<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
<\/td>\n
<\/a><\/center><\/td>\n
<\/a><\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
MCU<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Xtensa Single-core 32-bit L106<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Xtensa Dual-Core 32-bit LX6 with 600 DMIPS<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
802.11 b\/g\/n Wi-Fi<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
HT20<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
HT40<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Bluetooth<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
X<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Bluetooth 4.2 and BLE<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Typical Frequency<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
80 MHz<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
160 MHz<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
SRAM<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
X<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\u2713<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Flash<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
X<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\u2713<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
GPIO<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
17<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
34<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Hardware \/Software PWM<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
None \/ 8 channels<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
None \/ 16 channels<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
SPI\/I2C\/I2S\/UART<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
2\/1\/2\/2<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
4\/2\/2\/2<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
ADC<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
10-bit<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
12-bit<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
CAN<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
X<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\u2713<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Ethernet MAC Interface<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
X<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\u2713<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Touch Sensor<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
X<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\u2713<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Temperature Sensor<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
X<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\u2713<\/strong>(old versions)<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Hall effect sensor<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
X<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
\u2713<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Working Temperature<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
-40\u00baC to 125\u00baC<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
-40\u00baC to 125\u00baC<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Price<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
$ (3$ – $6)<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
$$ ($6 – $12)<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Where to buy<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n\n
ESP32 Development Boards Review and Comparison<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Using ESP32 or ESP8266 bare chips is not easy or practical, especially when testing and prototyping. Most of the time, you\u2019ll want to use ESP32 and ESP8266 development boards. These boards come with all the needed circuitry to power the chip, connect it to your computer, a circuit to upload code easily, pins to connect peripherals, built-in power and control LEDs, and other useful features.<\/p>\n

The ESP32 and ESP8266 development boards we use more often are the\u00a0ESP32 DEVKIT DOIT Development board\u00a0<\/a>and the\u00a0ESP8266 ESP-12E NodeMCU Kit<\/a>\u00a0and these are the ones we recommend for beginners. However, there are many other models of development boards that you can choose from. We recommend that you read the following guides:<\/p>\n