Wokwi
Wokwi is a device simulator for building and debugging firmware for simulated microcontrollers.
What Wokwi is
Wokwi is a device simulator for building and debugging firmware for simulated microcontrollers. It supports Arduino (C/C++), MicroPython, CircuitPython, and Rust, with boards including Arduino Uno, Nano, and Mega, ATtiny85, the ESP32 family, several STM32 models, and Raspberry Pi Pico. Supported protocols include WiFi, HTTP, HTTPS, WebSocket, MQTT, NTP, CoAP, DNS, TCP, UDP, UART, I2C, and SPI. Simulated targets include AVR, ESP32, STM32, and RP2040 microcontrollers; firmware can be exported for Raspberry Pi Pico. Wokwi lists Linux, macOS, Windows, and web among its platforms. The free Community plan provides unlimited simulations, unlimited public projects, and Virtual WiFi. Paid plans are billed annually: Hobby costs €5.60 per month and includes 100 fast build minutes monthly; Hobby+ costs €8.10 per month and includes 500; Wokwi Pro costs €20.00 per month and includes 1,000 fast build minutes and 2,000 CI minutes monthly.
Good
- Supports four listed programming languages.
- Includes firmware debugging.
- Community plan allows unlimited simulations.
- Supports a wide range of listed protocols.
- Firmware can be exported for Raspberry Pi Pico.
Watch out
- Paid plans are billed annually.
- Fast build minutes are specified for paid plans.
- The listed export target is Raspberry Pi Pico.
Who it suits
Wokwi suits people who want to simulate microcontroller projects and build or debug firmware in one of its supported languages. It may also fit users working with the listed boards, protocols, or simulated targets.
Verdict
Wokwi supports firmware simulation and debugging across several languages, boards, and communication protocols. The free Community plan includes unlimited simulations, while paid plans specify monthly fast build minutes.
Plans and prices
From Wokwi's own pricing page, checked 15 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby | €5.60 a month | 100 monthly fast build minutes · Unlisted projects · Custom libraries · Private IoT Gateway · Annual billing; Save 20% |
| Hobby+ | €8.10 a month | 500 monthly fast build minutes · Wokwi for VS Code · Unlisted projects · Custom libraries · Private IoT Gateway · Custom WiFi Access Points · Annual billing; Save 33% |
| Wokwi Pro | €20 a month | 1000 monthly fast build minutes · 2000 monthly CI minutes · VS Code offline plug-in · Team billing and invoices · Unlisted projects · Custom libraries · Private IoT Gateway · Custom WiFi Access Points · Annual billing; Save 20%; per seat |
| Community | Free | Unlimited simulations · Unlimited public projects · Virtual WiFi · Annual billing |
| Classroom | Priced on request | Institutional subscription with seats and classroom terms set by quotation · Quotation |
The facts
Each one read from Wokwi's own pages, with the date it was checked.
Where it runs
- Browser startup
- The documentation says users can begin coding in the browser without downloading large software or waiting for components.checked 15 Oct 2026
What it does
- CI command line
- Wokwi CLI uses a WOKWI_CLI_TOKEN, can initialize wokwi.toml and diagram.json, detects PlatformIO, ESP-IDF and Pico SDK projects, and runs simulations from a terminal.checked 15 Oct 2026
- CLI licensing
- The public wokwi-cli repository is marked as MIT licensed.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Commercial licensing
- Wokwi for VS Code is free for open-source projects, while commercial use requires a purchased license.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Custom chips
- The beta Chips API lets developers create custom sensors, displays, memories and test instruments using C or other languages compiled to WebAssembly, with experimental Verilog support.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Custom libraries
- Paid plans allow uploading custom Arduino, ESP32 and Pi Pico libraries plus binary files for simulated SD cards.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Data-controller change
- The privacy policy states that service operation and data control moved from CodeMagic Ltd. in Israel to Wokwi B.V. in the Netherlands on May 1, 2026.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- The documentation includes getting-started guides, supported-hardware tables, project configuration references, CI instructions and detailed GPIO, analog, time, UART, I2C, SPI and framebuffer API references.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Domain history
- Scam Detector reports a wokwi.com domain registration date of October 17, 2019.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Gateway limitation
- The IoT Gateway supports TCP and UDP but does not support ICMP ping.checked 15 Oct 2026
- GDB debugging
- The CLI and VS Code workflows support starting simulations paused and connecting GDB for breakpoints and debugging.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Legal entity
- Wokwi B.V. is a Dutch private limited company registered at Prof. J.H. Bavincklaan 4, 1183 AT Amstelveen, Netherlands.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: analog fidelity
- Mokxi reports that Wokwi's simulation is digital and does not model resistor-divider behavior like a physical analog circuit.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: enterprise simulation depth
- Gitnux identifies limited analog SPICE fidelity, mixed-signal and parasitic-extraction workflows, enterprise automation/API breadth and runtime scaling as tradeoffs.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: physical validation
- Independent comparison material says simulation cannot replace real-hardware checks for electrical behavior and physical component effects.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Logic analyzer
- Wokwi provides a virtual logic analyzer for capturing and examining digital signals such as UART, I2C and SPI.checked 15 Oct 2026
- MCP integration
- The CLI includes an experimental MCP server that lets AI agents run simulations, tests and serial-log monitoring.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Open-source component
- The public avr8js simulator library used by Wokwi is released under the MIT license.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Praise: education and sharing
- Deriota describes Wokwi as easy to use, risk-free for experimentation and suitable for education because projects can be shared by link and the community uses Discord.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Praise: firmware prototyping
- Mokxi's comparison describes Wokwi as strong for makers because it supports many boards, Arduino libraries, firmware debugging and VS Code integration.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Praise: integrated workflow
- Gitnux rated Wokwi 8.6 out of 10 in its 2026 electronics-simulator comparison and praised browser execution that combines schematic, firmware and I/O feedback.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Praise: learning and prototyping
- A Reddit discussion describes Wokwi as useful for quick prototyping and learning, especially with Arduino and ESP32, and for CI-linked workflows.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Private gateway
- The paid Private IoT Gateway runs on Windows, macOS or Linux, routes simulator traffic through the local network and avoids cloud traffic monitoring.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Project privacy
- Community projects are public; unlisted projects are available on paid plans.checked 15 Oct 2026
Alternatives to Wokwi
- 1

Arduino IDE
Free planOpen sourceAndroidiOSWebAPI8.0Free plan - 2

Arm Keil MDK
Free planWebAPIExtensionLinux7.9From 82.39 CHF a month - 3

PlatformIO IDE
Free planExtensionLinuxmacOSSelf-hosted7.0Free plan - 4
MPLAB X IDE
Free planLinuxmacOSWindows6.4Free plan - 5
e² studio
Free planLinuxmacOSWindows6.3Free plan - 6

ESP-IDF Extension for VS Code
Free planExtensionLinuxmacOSWindows6.3Free plan
