ESP32 vs ESP8266 | What is ESP32 and ESP8266

The ESP32 and ESP8266 are two of the most popular Wi-Fi-enabled microcontrollers developed by Espressif Systems. These chips have revolutionized IoT (Internet of Things) projects by providing powerful, low-cost, and wireless-capable platforms for developers, hobbyists, and professionals. But which one should you use for your next project? Let’s dive deep into a comprehensive comparison.

1. Overview

Feature	ESP8266	ESP32
Manufacturer	Espressif Systems	Espressif Systems
Launch Year	2014	2016
Core Architecture	32-bit Tensilica L106	Dual-core 32-bit Tensilica LX6 or LX7
Connectivity	Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n)	Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth (Classic & BLE)
GPIO Pins	~17 usable	Up to 36 GPIOs (depending on package)

2. Processing Power

ESP8266:

• Single-core Tensilica L106 processor.
• Clock speed: up to 80 MHz (overclockable to 160 MHz).
• Good for simple applications like sensor monitoring, basic automation, or simple IoT devices.

ESP32:

• Dual-core Tensilica LX6/LX7 processor.
• Clock speed: up to 240 MHz.
• Much more powerful for multitasking, real-time applications, and intensive computations like signal processing or image analysis.

✅ Winner: ESP32 – More cores, higher frequency, better performance.

3. Memory (RAM and Flash)

Memory Type	ESP8266	ESP32
SRAM	~80 KB (usable ~50 KB)	~520 KB internal SRAM
Flash Support	512 KB to 16 MB (external)	4 MB to 16 MB (external, commonly 4MB or 8MB)
PSRAM (optional)	❌ Not supported	✅ Supported (up to 8MB external)

✅ Winner: ESP32 – More RAM and support for external PSRAM allows for complex applications.

4. Connectivity Options

Connectivity	ESP8266	ESP32
Wi-Fi	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Bluetooth	❌ No	✅ Bluetooth Classic & BLE
Ethernet Support	✅ (via SPI)	✅ (native MAC + external PHY)
CAN Bus, LoRa	❌ Not natively	✅ Supported (in some ESP32 variants)

✅ Winner: ESP32 – Offers more flexibility for various communication protocols.

5. GPIO and Peripherals

Feature	ESP8266	ESP32
GPIO Pins	~17 (with limitations)	Up to 36
ADC Channels	1 (10-bit)	Up to 18 channels (12-bit)
DAC	❌ No	✅ Yes (2 channels)
Touch Sensors	❌ No	✅ Yes (capacitive touch inputs)
PWM	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
SPI / I2C / UART	✅ Yes	✅ More interfaces, more UARTs
Hall Sensor	❌ No	✅ Yes
Temperature Sensor	❌ No	✅ Yes (basic)

✅ Winner: ESP32 – Significantly more GPIOs and a wide variety of peripherals.

6. Power Consumption

ESP8266:

• Good power-saving modes: Light Sleep, Deep Sleep.
• Suitable for battery-powered projects with moderate usage.

ESP32:

• More advanced power modes (Light Sleep, Deep Sleep, Hibernation).
• ULP (Ultra Low Power) co-processor for sensor monitoring during deep sleep.

✅ Winner: ESP32 – More flexible power management and better suited for ultra-low-power applications.

7. Development and Programming

Aspect	ESP8266	ESP32
Development Framework	Arduino, NodeMCU (Lua), AT commands, ESP-IDF	Arduino, MicroPython, ESP-IDF, PlatformIO
IDE Support	Arduino IDE, VS Code, Eclipse	Arduino IDE, VS Code, PlatformIO
Official SDK	Non-OS SDK, RTOS SDK	ESP-IDF (RTOS-based)

✅ Winner: ESP32 – More mature development framework and flexibility.

8. Security Features

Security Feature	ESP8266	ESP32
HTTPS/SSL Support	✅ Yes (with some limitations)	✅ Better hardware acceleration
Secure Boot	❌ No	✅ Yes
Flash Encryption	❌ No	✅ Yes

✅ Winner: ESP32 – Better security for commercial or enterprise-level IoT applications.

9. Price and Availability

Aspect	ESP8266	ESP32
Price (Typical)	$2 – $4 (NodeMCU board)	$4 – $8 (ESP32 Dev board)
Availability	Widely available	Widely available

✅ Winner: ESP8266 – Cheaper and ideal for simple, low-cost projects.

10. Common Use Cases

Application	ESP8266	ESP32
Simple IoT sensors	✅ Ideal	✅ Suitable
Smart home automation	✅ Good choice	✅ Better for complex control logic
Wearables	❌ Not suitable	✅ Thanks to BLE, touch sensors, low power
Industrial IoT (IIoT)	❌ Limited reliability & features	✅ High performance, robust features
Audio processing	❌ Not capable	✅ Supports I2S, audio DAC, etc.
Real-time applications	❌ Not suitable	✅ Better with FreeRTOS

11. Pros & Cons Summary

ESP8266 Pros:

• Very low cost.
• Sufficient for basic IoT applications.
• Easy to learn and deploy.
• Good community support.

ESP8266 Cons:

• Limited GPIOs and peripherals.
• No Bluetooth.
• Limited processing and memory.
• Poor ADC performance.

ESP32 Pros:

• Dual-core, high-performance processor.
• Versatile connectivity (Wi-Fi + BLE).
• Rich peripherals (touch, DAC, ADC, CAN, etc.).
• Secure and low power.
• Ideal for future-proof and complex projects.

ESP32 Cons:

• Slightly more expensive.
• Can be overkill for very simple tasks.

12. Conclusion – Which One Should You Choose?

• Choose ESP8266 if:
  • You’re building simple, cost-sensitive projects.
  • You don’t need Bluetooth or lots of peripherals.
  • You want a smaller learning curve or quick prototypes.
• Choose ESP32 if:
  • You need more processing power, memory, and peripherals.
  • Your project involves Bluetooth, real-time performance, or multiple sensors and interfaces.
  • You’re developing a more robust or commercial-grade product.

Bottom line: The ESP8266 is great for getting started, but the ESP32 is the go-to choice for more serious and scalable IoT applications.

If you want read more about ESP8266, click here – IoT with ESP8266.