ESP32 Variant Comparison — S3 vs C3 vs S2 vs C6 vs H2 Pinout

Quick Comparison Table

Feature	ESP32	ESP32-S3	ESP32-C3	ESP32-S2	ESP32-C6	ESP32-H2
Architecture	Xtensa LX6	Xtensa LX7	RISC-V	Xtensa LX7	RISC-V	RISC-V
Cores	2	2	1	1	1	1
Max Clock	240 MHz	240 MHz	160 MHz	240 MHz	160 MHz	96 MHz
GPIO Count	34	45	22	43	30	26
Wi-Fi	✅ 2.4 GHz	✅ 2.4 GHz	✅ 2.4 GHz	✅ 2.4 GHz	✅ 2.4 GHz	❌
Bluetooth	✅ + BLE	✅ BLE 5.0	✅ BLE 5.0	❌	✅ BLE 5.0	✅ BLE 5.0
Thread/Zigbee	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	✅
USB OTG	❌	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌
ADC Channels	18 (12-bit)	20 (12-bit)	6 (12-bit)	20 (12-bit)	7 (12-bit)	7 (12-bit)
DAC	2 × 8-bit	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Touch Sensors	10	14	❌	14	❌	❌
UART	3	3	2	2	2	2
I2C	2	2	1	2	1	1
SPI	4 (2 usable)	4 (2 usable)	2 (1 usable)	4 (2 usable)	2 (1 usable)	2 (1 usable)
PWM (LEDC)	16 ch	16 ch	6 ch	16 ch	6 ch	6 ch
RTC GPIO	8	21	5	22	6	8
Strapping Pins	5	4	3	4	2	2
Best For	General IoT	AI, HID, USB	Low-cost IoT	USB, Security	Matter/Thread	Thread/Zigbee

💡 Choosing the Right Variant For most beginners, the classic ESP32 (ESP-WROOM-32) is still the best choice. For USB HID or AI/ML projects, choose ESP32-S3. For low-cost Matter/Thread devices, choose ESP32-C6. For Zigbee-only, choose ESP32-H2.

Detailed Variant Guides

ESP32-S3 Pinout Guide →

Xtensa LX7 Wi-Fi BLE 5.0

45 GPIO pins, native USB, 20 ADC channels, 14 touch sensors. The most feature-rich ESP32 variant. Best for USB HID devices, AI/ML at the edge, and display projects.

ESP32-C3 Pinout Guide →

RISC-V Wi-Fi BLE 5.0

22 GPIO pins, RISC-V architecture, 6 ADC channels. Low-cost alternative to classic ESP32. Great for simple IoT sensors and cost-sensitive projects.

ESP32-S2 Pinout Guide →

Xtensa LX7 Wi-Fi

43 GPIO pins, native USB OTG, 20 ADC channels. Focused on security and USB connectivity. No Bluetooth. Excellent for USB peripherals and secure IoT.

ESP32-C6 Pinout Guide →

RISC-V Wi-Fi BLE 5.0

30 GPIO pins, RISC-V, supports Wi-Fi 6 + BLE 5.0 + Thread/Zigbee. The Matter-ready chip. Best for smart home devices using the Matter protocol.

ESP32-H2 Pinout Guide →

RISC-V BLE 5.0

26 GPIO pins, RISC-V, BLE 5.0 + Thread/Zigbee only (no Wi-Fi). Designed for low-power mesh networking. Best for battery-powered Zigbee/Thread end devices.

🔧 Need to Check Pin Compatibility?

Use our interactive tool to compare pin functions across all variants.

Open Interactive Pinout

Which Variant Should You Choose?

Choose ESP32-S3 if...

You need native USB (USB HID, MIDI, mass storage)
You're building AI/ML projects with ESP-DL or TensorFlow Lite
You need the most GPIO pins (45)
You want the latest Espressif flagship

Choose ESP32-C3 if...

You're cost-sensitive and need Wi-Fi + BLE
You want to try RISC-V architecture
You don't need many GPIO pins
You're replacing an ESP8266 project

Choose ESP32-S2 if...

You need native USB but not Bluetooth
You're building secure IoT devices
You need many GPIO pins (43) with USB

Choose ESP32-C6 if...

You're building for the Matter smart home standard
You need Thread or Zigbee alongside Wi-Fi
You want Wi-Fi 6 capability

Choose ESP32-H2 if...

You only need Thread or Zigbee (no Wi-Fi)
You're building battery-powered mesh nodes
Low power consumption is critical

🔬 ESP32 Variant Comparison Guide