Best IoT Development Tools in 2026
Updated
In short: Arm Keil MDK is ranked #1 of 13 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of PlatformIO IDE and Arduino IDE. The best-ranked option with a free plan is PlatformIO IDE. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Wokwi at €5.60/mo.
IoT development tools can support work across boards, firmware, and deployment environments. Compare deployment targets, supported boards and languages, and the protocols each tool supports. Device simulation and firmware debugging are additional criteria, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help you assess cost. Arm Keil MDK, PlatformIO IDE, and Arduino IDE lead the ranking, followed by ESP-IDF Extension for VS Code and MPLAB X IDE. Wokwi, Particle Web IDE, and Digi IoT Device Simulator are also among the first entries. Consider the hardware and workflow you need to support, then use the listed fields to compare the available tools.
13 IoT development tools ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Arm Keil MDK Top pick · 7.4 Free plan · $99/mo
#2 PlatformIO IDE Runner-up · 7.2 Free plan · $20.75/mo
#3 Arduino IDE Also great · 7.1 Free plan · Free
- Free plan apiextensionLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$99/mofirst paid tier About Arm Keil MDKVisit site - Free plan extensionLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$20.75/mofirst paid tier About PlatformIO IDEVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan extensionLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported languages
- Arduino (C/C++), MicroPython, CircuitPython, Rust
- Device simulator
- Yes
- Firmware debugging
- Yes
- Supported protocols
- WiFi, HTTP, HTTPS, WebSocket, MQTT, NTP, CoAP, DNS, TCP, UDP, UART, I2C, SPI
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms€5.60/mofirst paid tier About WokwiVisit site - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 299 /mo
- Supported languages
- C, C++
- Device simulator
- No
- Firmware debugging
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$299/mofirst paid tier About Particle Web IDEVisit site - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported languages
- Python
- Device simulator
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported languages
- C; C++
- Supported protocols
- Bluetooth LE; OpenThread; Wi-Fi; proprietary wireless protocols (RAIL, Alpha integration, device-dependent)
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which IoT development tool is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
Arm Keil MDK is ranked #1 of 13 with a score of 7.4. PlatformIO IDE is second and Arduino IDE third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 13 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Wokwi has the lowest first paid tier we found: €5.60/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.