ESP32 Comparison Chart - All Versions, Types & Models (2026 Guide)
Every ESP32 chip in one table: ESP32, S2, S3, S31, C2, C3, C5, C6, C61, H2, H4, H21 and P4. Datasheet specs, wireless, power and which one to pick.
ESP32 is not one chip any more. Since the original launched in 2016, Espressif has added thirteen more SoCs under the same name, on two CPU architectures, with radios ranging from dual-band Wi-Fi 6 to no radio at all. The names do not help much: the S3 is a bigger ESP32, the C3 is a smaller one, the H2 cannot do Wi-Fi, the P4 cannot do wireless at all, and the new S31 is an "S" chip that is not Xtensa.
This page is the comparison we wish existed when we started: a full spec table taken from the datasheets, an honest profile of every chip including its weak points, and head-to-head picks for the pairs people actually search for. Espressif's own SoC list has 14 entries; 11 are in mass production. The rest are announced or sampling, and we say so rather than pretend they are on the shelf.
Which ESP32 should you pick?
Start from what the project needs, not from the spec sheet. Each card links to the chip's profile below.
The ESP32 family at a glance
Espressif's letters are the fastest way to orient yourself. The original ESP32 has no letter. S chips are its full-featured successors. C chips are RISC-V, cost-optimised, and carry the newest Wi-Fi. H chips drop Wi-Fi for Thread and Zigbee. The P4 is an application processor with no radio, and the E22 is a radio with no application processor. Amber cards are not in mass production yet: you cannot buy them on a board, and their numbers can still change.
ESP8266, ESP8684, ESP8685? The ESP8266 is the 2014 predecessor, not an ESP32. The ESP8684 is the ESP32-C2 under its retail name, and the ESP8685 is a 4x4 mm ESP32-C3. Module names such as WROOM, WROVER, MINI and SOLO describe how a chip is packaged with flash and an antenna; they are not different chips.
ESP32 comparison table
Chip-level values from the Espressif datasheets. It opens with the four chips most people choose between and the specs that decide it; tick the chips you are weighing, or open the whole sheet with "All chips" and "All specs". "Hide identical rows" drops the rows where your selection agrees.
| Spec | ESP32Dual-core · Xtensa LX6 | ESP32-S2Single-core · Xtensa LX7 | ESP32-S3Dual-core · Xtensa LX7 | ESP32-S31Dual-core · RISC-VNew · preview SW | ESP32-C2Single-core · RISC-V | ESP32-C3Single-core · RISC-V | ESP32-C6Single-core · RISC-V | ESP32-C61Single-core · RISC-V | ESP32-C5Single-core · RISC-V | ESP32-H2Single-core · RISC-V | ESP32-H4Dual-core · RISC-VPre-release | ESP32-H21Single-core · RISC-VPre-release | ESP32-P4Dual-core · RISC-V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compute | |||||||||||||
| CPU | 2x Xtensa LX6 | 1x Xtensa LX7 | 2x Xtensa LX7 | 2x RISC-V + LP core | 1x RISC-V | 1x RISC-V | 1x RISC-V + LP core | 1x RISC-V | 1x RISC-V + LP core | 1x RISC-V | 2x RISC-V | 1x RISC-V | 2x RISC-V + LP core |
| Max clock | 240 MHz | 240 MHz | 240 MHz | 320 MHz | 120 MHz | 160 MHz | 160 MHz | 160 MHz | 240 MHz | 96 MHz | 96 MHz | 96 MHz | 400 MHz (v3.x) |
| Low-power core | ULP FSM co-processor | ULP RISC-V + FSM | ULP RISC-V + FSM | LP RISC-V 40 MHz | None | None | LP RISC-V 20 MHz | None | LP RISC-V 48 MHz | None | not published | not published | LP RISC-V 40 MHz |
| SIMD / vector instructions | No | No | 128-bit SIMD (PIE) | 128-bit SIMD (PIE), one core | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | 128-bit SIMD (PIE) + AI/DSP ext. |
| Memory | |||||||||||||
| SRAM | 520 KB | 320 KB | 512 KB | 512 KB | 272 KB | 400 KB | 512 KB | 320 KB | 384 KB | 320 KB | 384 KB | 320 KB | 768 KB |
| ROM | 448 KB | 128 KB | 384 KB | 320 KB | 576 KB | 384 KB | 320 KB | 256 KB | 320 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB + 16 KB LP |
| LP / RTC memory | 16 KB RTC | 16 KB RTC | 16 KB RTC | 32 KB LP | RTC memory | 8 KB RTC | 16 KB LP | not stated | 16 KB LP | 4 KB LP | not published | not published | 32 KB LP |
| Flash | 4 MB in-pkg; up to 16 MB ext. | 4 MB in-pkg; up to 1 GB ext. | 4 / 8 MB in-pkg; up to 1 GB ext. | ext. only, up to 256 MB | 2 / 4 MB in-pkg; up to 16 MB ext. | 4 / 8 MB in-pkg; up to 16 MB ext. | 4 / 8 MB in-pkg; up to 16 MB ext. | 4 MB in-pkg | 4 MB in-pkg; up to 32 MB ext. | 2 / 4 MB in-pkg; up to 16 MB ext. | ext. | ext. | ext. only, up to 64 MB |
| PSRAM | 2 MB in-pkg; ext. | 2 MB in-pkg; ext. | 2 / 8 / 16 MB in-pkg | 16 / 32 MB in-pkg | No | No | No | 2 / 8 MB in-pkg | 2 / 8 MB in-pkg | No | ext. | No | 16 / 32 MB in-pkg |
| Wireless | |||||||||||||
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 4 | Wi-Fi 4 | Wi-Fi 4 | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 4 | Wi-Fi 4 | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6, 2.4 + 5 GHz | None | None | None | None |
| Bluetooth | BT 4.2 Classic + BLE | None | BLE 5 (5.4 cert.) | BLE 5.4 + Classic | BLE 5 (5.3 cert.) | BLE 5 (5.4 cert.) | BLE 5 (5.3 cert.) | BLE 5 (6.0 cert.) | BLE 5 (6.0 cert.) | BLE 5 (5.3 cert.) | BLE 5.4 | BLE 5 | None |
| Thread / Zigbee | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| I/O | |||||||||||||
| GPIO | 34 | 43 | 45 | 60 | 14 | 22 (16 on C3FH4X) | 30 (QFN40) / 22 (QFN32) | 30 | 29 | 19 | up to 40 | up to 19 | 55 |
| USB | None | OTG (full speed) | OTG + Serial/JTAG | 2.0 high-speed OTG + Serial/JTAG | None | Serial/JTAG | Serial/JTAG | Serial/JTAG | Serial/JTAG | Serial/JTAG | OTG | not published | 2.0 high-speed OTG + Serial/JTAG |
| ADC | 18 ch, 12-bit | 20 ch, 13-bit | 20 ch, 12-bit | 16 ch, 2 x 12-bit | 5 ch, 12-bit | 6 ch, 12-bit | 7 ch, 12-bit | 4 ch, 12-bit | 6 ch, 12-bit | 5 ch, 12-bit | not published | not published | 14 ch, 2 x 12-bit |
| DAC | 2 x 8-bit | 2 x 8-bit | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Touch pads | 10 | 14 | 14 | 14 | No | No | No | No | No | No | 15 | not published | 14 |
| Camera | DVP (via I2S) | DVP (via I2S) | DVP 8-16 bit | DVP | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | MIPI CSI + ISP, DVP |
| Display | Parallel (via I2S) | Parallel 8/16/24-bit | Parallel / RGB | Parallel / RGB | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | MIPI DSI, RGB/parallel |
| Ethernet MAC | MAC 10/100 | No | No | MAC 10/100/1000 | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | MAC 10/100 |
| CAN / TWAI | 1 | 1 | 1 | CAN FD | No | 1 | 2 | No | 2 x CAN FD | 1 | 1 | not published | 1 |
| Power and package | |||||||||||||
| Deep sleep | 10 uA | 25 uA | 7 uA | 12 uA | 5 uA | 5 uA | 7 uA | 10 uA | 12 uA | 7 uA | not published | 5 uA* | 12 uA (v3.x) |
| Package | QFN48 5x5 / 6x6 mm | QFN56 7x7 mm | QFN56 7x7 mm | QFN80 8x8 mm | QFN24 4x4 mm | QFN32 5x5 mm | QFN40 / QFN32 5x5 mm | QFN40 / LGA40 5x5 mm | QFN48 / LGA48 6x6 mm | QFN32 4x4 mm | not published | not published | QFN104 10x10 mm |
| Availability | |||||||||||||
| Announced | 2016 | 2019 | 2020 | 2026 | 2022 | 2020 | 2021 | 2024 | 2022 | 2021 | 2024 | 2026 | 2023 |
| Status | In production since 2016 | In production since 2020 | In production since 2021 | In production since 2026 (IDF preview) | In production since 2022 (as ESP8684) | In production since 2021 | In production since 2023 | In production since 2025 | In production since 2025 | In production since 2023 | Sampling | Announced | In production since 2024 (v3.x since 2026) |
| Boards on espboards | 148 boards → | 26 boards → | 84 boards → | 0 | 0 · chip page → | 25 boards → | 8 boards → | 0 | 1 boards → | 2 boards → | 0 | 0 | 4 boards → |
Every ESP32 chip, one at a time
Same structure for each: what it is, what it is good at, what will bite you, and who should buy it.
The original. Most tutorials, most boards, and the only ESP32 with Bluetooth Classic that you can buy on a hobby board today.
Good
- Largest ecosystem: every library and tutorial targets it first; 147 boards on this site
- Bluetooth Classic (A2DP audio, SPP) - the newer S2/S3/C/H chips are BLE-only
- Dual core: Wi-Fi stack on one core, your code on the other
- Two 8-bit DACs, 10 touch pads and an Ethernet MAC; cheapest dual-core boards from about $3
Watch out for
- No native USB - boards need a CP2102/CH340 bridge chip
- ADC2 is unusable while Wi-Fi is on, and the ADC is noisy and non-linear
- Bluetooth 4.2 hardware: no 2M PHY, long range or extended advertising even with the LE 5.0 certification
- 2016 core: no Wi-Fi 6, no 802.15.4, no vector instructions, no low-power RISC-V core
Pick it for: General projects, anything that needs Bluetooth Classic, or when you want the widest library support.
Wi-Fi only, native USB, lots of GPIO. The odd one out: no Bluetooth, and not the low-power chip it is often sold as.
Good
- Native USB OTG: HID keyboard/mouse, mass storage, no bridge chip
- 43 GPIOs, 14 touch pads and two DACs on a cheap chip
- Secure boot, flash encryption, HMAC and digital signature (launched as the 'Secure Wi-Fi MCU')
Watch out for
- No Bluetooth of any kind
- Single core; Wi-Fi and your code share it
- Deep sleep is 25 uA in the datasheet - the highest in the family, not '5x better than ESP32' as often claimed
- Largely superseded by the C3 (cheaper) and S3 (faster); few new boards
Pick it for: USB device projects (keyboards, badges) that only need Wi-Fi. Otherwise the S3 or C3 is usually the better buy.
The workhorse for displays, cameras and anything memory-hungry. 73 boards on this site, second only to the original.
Good
- Up to 16 MB octal PSRAM in-package (R8/R16V parts) - large displays, camera frames, LVGL
- 128-bit SIMD instructions that ESP-NN / ESP-DL use to speed up small ML models
- Native USB OTG plus USB Serial/JTAG for programming
- 45 GPIOs; modules from about $3.5, official DevKitC about $15
Watch out for
- No Bluetooth Classic - BLE only
- Still Wi-Fi 4, still 2.4 GHz only, no 802.15.4
- No DAC (the original ESP32 and the S2 have two)
- Module suffixes matter: N8R8 / N16R8 / N32R16V encode flash and PSRAM, and R16V parts run PSRAM at 1.8 V
Pick it for: Displays, cameras, audio/voice, on-device ML, or any project that outgrows the RAM of a C-series chip.
ESP32-S31
Mass production since Jul 2026Preview software Announced 2026No boards on espboards yetThe S3's successor, and a change of architecture: dual-core RISC-V at 320 MHz, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth Classic and LE, Thread/Zigbee and gigabit Ethernet in one chip.
New chip, limited support. In mass production since July 2026, but ESP-IDF v6.1 support is preview-level, there is no Arduino core, the datasheet is marked preliminary and the only boards are Espressif's own. Fine to evaluate, early to build a product on.
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Pick it for: Nothing production-critical yet. If you are designing a 2027 product that wants S3-class multimedia with modern radios, start reading.
The cheapest Wi-Fi + BLE chip Espressif makes, sold as ESP8684. Built for mass-produced gadgets, not hobby boards.
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Pick it for: Only if you are designing a product PCB and cost per unit matters more than anything else.
The budget default. Wi-Fi + BLE 5, USB programming, tiny boards for around $2.
Good
- Cheapest chip you can actually buy on a dev board (C3 Super Mini)
- USB Serial/JTAG built in - flash and debug over one USB-C port
- 5 uA deep sleep, the lowest in the family together with the C2
- RISC-V core: same toolchain as the C6/C5 generation
Watch out for
- Single core at 160 MHz - about 1.4x slower per core than the S3, 2.75x with both S3 cores busy (CoreMark)
- No PSRAM support, so no big displays or camera work
- 22 GPIOs, and only 16 on the 'recommended' C3FH4X part; Super Mini boards expose even fewer
- Wi-Fi 4 only; no Thread/Zigbee
Pick it for: Sensors, small Wi-Fi/BLE gadgets, ESPHome nodes - anything where size and price beat speed.
The smart-home chip: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth LE and an 802.15.4 radio for Thread and Zigbee in one package.
Good
- 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 6, BLE and Thread 1.3 / Zigbee 3.0 together - the natural Matter chip, and the cheapest one
- 512 KB SRAM, the most of any C-series chip
- Low-power RISC-V core keeps running in deep sleep; 7 uA deep sleep
- Wi-Fi 6 target wake time cuts power on Wi-Fi 6 routers
Watch out for
- Single 160 MHz core - the ESP32-S3 is faster for compute
- Wi-Fi and 802.15.4 share one radio - running both costs airtime
- The 30-GPIO count is the bare QFN40 chip; the flash-in-package C6FH4/FH8 used in modules is QFN32 with 22
- Still 2.4 GHz only (the C5 adds 5 GHz)
Pick it for: Thread, Zigbee or Matter devices, or any new Wi-Fi sensor node where you want a current-generation chip.
ESP32-C61
Mass production since Jun 2025 Announced 2024No boards on espboards yetA cost-reduced C6: Wi-Fi 6 and BLE, but the 802.15.4 radio is gone. Aimed at high-volume products; modules cost about $2.
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Pick it for: Product designs that want Wi-Fi 6 power savings and some PSRAM without paying for the 802.15.4 radio.
The first ESP32 with 5 GHz Wi-Fi. Think of it as a C6 with a faster core, a second band and PSRAM.
Good
- Only ESP32 MCU that joins 5 GHz networks - less congestion, more throughput
- 240 MHz RISC-V core, the fastest single-core chip in the family
- Keeps the C6's 802.15.4 radio (Thread 1.4 / Zigbee 3.0) and adds in-package PSRAM options
- Full ESP-IDF support since v6.0; Arduino stable
Watch out for
- Shipping since April 2025: few boards (DevKitC-1 about $14), ESPHome support still maturing
- 12 uA deep sleep vs 7 uA on the C6; 5 GHz costs power, battery projects gain little
- 384 KB SRAM, less than the C6's 512 KB
- Pricier than the C6 for the same 2.4 GHz features
Pick it for: When 2.4 GHz is unusable (dense apartments, industrial sites) or you need more Wi-Fi bandwidth than a C6 gives.
No Wi-Fi on purpose. A Thread/Zigbee + BLE radio for battery-powered mesh devices.
Good
- Zigbee 3.0 and Thread 1.4 with certified stacks in ESP-IDF; Matter listed in the datasheet
- Built for coin-cell and AA devices: 7 uA deep sleep, 4x4 mm package
- Cheapest way to build a Zigbee sensor that talks to Home Assistant / Zigbee2MQTT
Watch out for
- No Wi-Fi: you need a border router, Zigbee coordinator or a second chip
- 96 MHz single core, 19 GPIOs - modest compute and I/O
- Only a couple of hobby boards (H2 Super Mini, DevKitM-1); 320 KB SRAM, not the 256 KB still quoted from the 2021 announcement
Pick it for: Zigbee or Thread end devices on batteries. If you also need Wi-Fi, take the C6.
ESP32-H4
Not in mass production · Sampling since Mar 2026 Announced 2024No boards on espboards yetThe H2's bigger sibling: dual-core, BLE 5.4, 802.15.4, 40 GPIOs. Sampling, not yet something you can buy on a board.
Not in mass production. Samples on request since March 2026, no public datasheet, ESP-IDF preview only, no Arduino. Everything below comes from Espressif's product page and can still change.
Pick it for: Nothing yet - plan with the H2 and watch this one.
ESP32-H21
Not in mass production · Announced Mar 2026 Announced 2026No boards on espboards yetA lower-power H2 with an on-chip DC-DC converter and up to 20 dBm output. Announced; no datasheet or boards yet.
Not in mass production. Announced March 2026, no datasheet, no boards, ESP-IDF preview only. Figures below are from the announcement and can still change.
Pick it for: Nothing yet. If the H2 fits, use the H2.
ESP32-P4
Mass production since 2024; v3.x silicon since May 2026 Announced 20234 boards on espboards →A different class of chip: 400 MHz, MIPI camera and display, H.264 encoder, USB 2.0 - and no radio at all.
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Good
- Fastest ESP32: dual 400 MHz cores, about 1.9-2.1x the S3 on CoreMark, with SIMD and DSP extensions
- MIPI CSI camera in with ISP, MIPI DSI display out, hardware H.264 and JPEG
- USB 2.0 high-speed OTG, 10/100 Ethernet MAC, 55 GPIOs, 16 or 32 MB in-package PSRAM
- ESP-IDF since v5.3 (2024), Arduino stable; Espressif, M5Stack (Tab5) and Waveshare boards from about $19
Watch out for
- No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth - every board pairs it with an ESP32-C6 over SDIO, costing board space and money
- Two silicon generations: v1.x (360 MHz, P4NRW16/32) is EOL; v3.x (400 MHz, NRW16X/32X) needs a new PCB and ESP-IDF v6 - check which one a board carries
- 12 uA deep sleep but light sleep is 75-800 uA; not a battery chip
- The v3.x datasheet is still a pre-release; boards start around $19 and go to $60
Pick it for: Touchscreens, cameras, HMI panels, edge vision - jobs the S3 runs out of steam on. Not for battery or cost-sensitive nodes.
Head-to-head
The pairs people search for most. Verdict first, then the three rows that decide it; the full spec sheet is one click away in the table.
C6, unless you need 5 GHz.
The C5 buys you the 5 GHz band and a faster core; the C6 is cheaper, has more RAM, sleeps deeper and has far more boards.
Compare all specs in the table →C3 for the cheapest node, C6 for anything smart-home.
About a dollar apart. The C6 adds Wi-Fi 6, an 802.15.4 radio for Thread/Zigbee and a low-power core.
Compare all specs in the table →S3 for screens and ML, ESP32 for Bluetooth Classic.
The S3 has native USB, up to 16 MB PSRAM and SIMD; the original keeps Bluetooth Classic, two DACs and the biggest tutorial base.
Compare all specs in the table →S3, almost always.
The S2 only wins on price for a USB gadget that never needs Bluetooth; its low-power reputation does not survive the datasheet.
Compare all specs in the table →Different jobs: S3 for screens, C6 for sensors.
They rarely compete. The S3 has the compute, PSRAM and camera interface; the C6 has the newer radios and Matter.
Compare all specs in the table →H2 for Zigbee/Thread end devices, C6 when Wi-Fi is on the table.
Same deep-sleep figure; the C6 adds Wi-Fi 6 and a faster core, the H2 is cheaper and smaller.
Compare all specs in the table →C3 for anything you build yourself.
The C2 (sold as ESP8684) is a volume part for product PCBs: fewer pins, no USB, practically no dev boards.
Compare all specs in the table →P4 for MIPI displays and cameras, S3 for everything else.
The P4 is about twice the S3 on CoreMark and has MIPI, H.264 and USB 2.0, but no radio and boards from ~$19.
Compare all specs in the table →Frequently asked questions
What is the most powerful ESP32?
Which ESP32 should I buy in 2026?
ESP32-C5 vs ESP32-C6: what is the difference?
ESP32-C3 vs ESP32-C6: which should I choose?
ESP32 vs ESP32-S3: which is better?
Does the ESP32-S2 have Bluetooth?
Which ESP32 chips support Wi-Fi 6 or 5 GHz?
Which Bluetooth version does each ESP32 have?
When was each ESP32 released?
Do all ESP32 chips have Wi-Fi?
How many ESP32 versions are there?
Where to go next
There is no best ESP32, only the right one for the job. If you are still unsure, the original ESP32 or a C3 Super Mini will get most projects working, and you can move to an S3 or C6 when you know what you need.