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14 frameworks and SDKs

ESP32 Frameworks and SDKs

From native C/C++ with FreeRTOS to Rust, IoT cloud, speech recognition, audio, and Matter. Choose by what you want to build.

Getting Started

Arduino or MicroPython are the fastest routes to test sensors and APIs. For production, go with ESP-IDF or Rust.

Cloud and Connected Home

ESP-Matter for interoperability, ESP-RainMaker for ready-made cloud, and Zigbee for low-power local mesh networks.

Audio, Voice and AI

ESP-ADF for audio processing, ESP-SR for offline speech recognition, and ESP-NN for accelerating TinyML.

Modular architecture

ESP Component Registry

Install display drivers (LVGL), industrial stacks (Modbus), cloud integrations, and board support packages (BSPs) with a single line in your idf_component.yml manifest.

Explore components

All

All frameworks

Each page provides features, ideal use cases, code examples, and official links.

ESP-IDF

C / C++

Official Base Framework

Official native Espressif framework for all ESP32 SoCs. Based on multicore FreeRTOS and CMake, providing full control over silicon, peripherals, radio, and modular component architecture.

  • Commercial and industrial IoT products
  • Devices with strict battery and low-power requirements
  • Real-time applications with precise interrupt control
View details and example

ESP-RainMaker

C / C++

Cloud & AIoT Framework

Complete cloud and firmware platform from Espressif for connected products. Build IoT devices without developing backend or mobile apps from scratch.

  • Smart appliances and consumer lighting
  • IoT products with tight time-to-market constraints
  • Devices requiring mobile app control without custom backend costs
View details and example

ESP-Matter

C++

Smart Home Framework

Official Espressif SDK for the Matter smart home standard (formerly Project CHIP). Enables interoperability across Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, and Home Assistant.

  • Interoperable smart bulbs, plugs, switches and dimmers
  • Presence, temperature, humidity and contact sensors
  • Electronic locks and window blind actuators
View details and example

ESP-ADF

C / C++

Audio & Voice Framework

Specialized framework for high-quality digital audio processing, streaming, and playback on ESP32 SoCs.

  • Smart speakers and internet radio receivers
  • Intercoms, walkie-talkies and VoIP systems
  • Music playback players with PSRAM
View details and example

ESP-SR

C / C++

Voice & AI Framework

Local speech recognition and edge AI audio processing framework, enabling offline voice commands without internet connection.

  • Offline voice-controlled home appliances
  • Industrial voice terminals in noisy environments
  • Privacy-focused smart home gadgets
View details and example

ESP-IoT-Solution

C / C++

Peripheral Library & Drivers

Collection of drivers, peripheral libraries and hardware solutions for ESP32 and ESP-IDF.

  • Smart screens and HMI interfaces
  • Sensor hubs and data loggers
  • Battery-powered portable gadgets
View details and example

ESP-NOW & Mesh

C / C++

Network Protocol & Mesh

Connectionless, ultra-fast wireless protocol developed by Espressif for short-packet peer-to-peer communication.

  • Remote controls and wireless buttons
  • Battery-powered sensor nodes
  • Low-latency smart home triggers
View details and example

ESP-Zigbee-SDK

C / C++

Smart Home & Mesh

Official Zigbee 3.0 SDK for IEEE 802.15.4-capable ESP32 SoCs (ESP32-H2 and ESP32-C6).

  • Zigbee home automation sensors and actuators
  • Zigbee to Wi-Fi/Ethernet gateway hubs
  • Low-power sleepy sensor nodes
View details and example

ESP-WHO

C / C++

Computer Vision & AI

Computer vision and image recognition framework designed for ESP32-S3 and ESP32-CAM devices.

  • Smart video doorbells and access control
  • Human presence detection for energy saving
  • Edge camera monitoring systems
View details and example

ESP-NN

C / C++

Specialized AI Library

Neural network acceleration library optimized specifically for ESP32 architectures.

  • Audio classification and vibration analysis (predictive maintenance)
  • Anomaly detection on industrial sensor streams
  • IMU gesture recognition
View details and example

ESP-DSP

C / C++

Specialized Signal Processing Library

Official digital signal processing library for the ESP32 family, providing hardware-accelerated math routines.

  • Real-time audio and vibration spectral analysis
  • Noise reduction filters for biomedical and industrial sensors
  • High-precision motor control and FOC algorithms
View details and example

Rust on ESP32

Rust

Modern Language & Framework

Modern Rust language development ecosystem for the ESP32 family, combining memory safety, robust concurrency, and high performance.

  • Mission-critical systems where memory safety errors are unacceptable
  • Modern IoT applications with clean asynchronous concurrency
  • Industrial devices requiring high reliability and security
View details and example

Arduino Core

C++

Popular Alternative Framework

Official Arduino core implementation running on top of ESP-IDF (v3.x+ based on ESP-IDF v5.1+), combining maximum ease of use with ESP32 advanced features.

  • Rapid prototyping and proof-of-concept (PoC) validation
  • Educational, maker and academic projects
  • Simple IoT systems with dashboards (Blynk, Adafruit IO, ThingSpeak)
View details and example

MicroPython

Python

Language & Dynamic Interpreter

Lean and efficient implementation of Python 3 optimized to run directly on ESP32 microcontrollers with a real-time interpreter.

  • Teaching physical computing and university laboratory courses
  • Rapid prototyping and fast sensor testing on the workbench
  • Automated hardware test bench scripts
View details and example