Side by side
MPLAB Harmony vs Zephyr SDK
Both stand on embedded systems toolchains. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
Visit MPLAB Harmony 
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
Choose Zephyr SDK if you are developing Zephyr applications and need toolchains and host tools for emulation, flashing, and debugging. Its free Apache 2.0 license suits commercial and non-commercial solutions. Look elsewhere if your work depends on vendor-specific cryptographic APIs such as TPM or TEE support.
Visit Zephyr SDKThe facts
| MPLAB Harmony | Zephyr SDK | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Windows | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Free or on request |
| Plans published | None | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | microchip.com | zephyrproject.org |
| On embedded systems toolchains | #22 of 30 | #18 of 30 |
MPLAB Harmony: what it does well
Zephyr SDK: what it does well
- GNU, LLVM, and minimal bundle variants are available.
- Targets include ARC, ARM, RISC-V, x86, and Xtensa.
- Includes compiler, assembler, linker, GDB, QEMU, and OpenOCD.
- Works with CMake, west, and Ninja.
- Apache 2.0 licensed and free for commercial and non-commercial use.
What to know first
- Vendor-specific crypto APIs, including TPM and TEE support, are planned.
- The macOS host platform is listed for AArch64 only.
- Community support is through mailing lists and Discord.
Alternatives to MPLAB Harmony Alternatives to Zephyr SDK The whole list