Most popular ESP32 development boards with USB type C
Guide on the ESP32 Development boards with USB C port. Different options with technical specs comparisons. From the original ESP32 chip to the newest ESP32C6
In recent years, the USB type C has become the new standard for charging and data transfer. It is no surprise, that many new devices are being equipped with USB-C ports, as it provides reversible connection, power and data transfer, including audio, video, etc.
With all the different ESP32 Development Boards, it is hard to find the ones that have a USB C port and even harder to compare the options.
There are several companies nowadays, that provides the ESP32 Development boards with USB-C port. We will go through the most popular and less popular options, but keep in mind that the ESP32 ecosystem is growing faster and faster and there are many new boards released from time to time, therefore this guide will not include all the available options. But we will try our best to help you find the best esp32 dev board.
If case you didn't find the suitable ESP32 Development Board with USB-C, consider the recently released Arduino UNO R4, which comes with the ESP32 chip built-in and has a USB-C port.
ESP32 #
Here is a list of the popular ESP32 development boards with USB C ports, that are based on the original ESP32 version.
From the cheaper options, we have the popular DFRobot FireBeetle 2, which provides a very low power consumption in deep sleep mode and costs around 9 USD.
In the range of 20 - 30 USD boards with USB type C, we have the TTGO T-Display, which has the onboard 1.14" IPS LCD Display, but consumes way more power than the FireBeetle 2, but comes at around 20 USD. Both boards have built-in battery charging and a few options from Adafruit, such as Feather V2 and Pico V3 and both of them provide built-in battery charging. Next, we have two boards from SparkFun - Thing Plus and IoT RedBoard. While the Thing Plus is more compact and similar to the boards you used to see more often, the IoT RedBoard provides a similar layout to Arduino UNO.
Finally, we have the M5Stack Core 2, which is priced at around 50 USD. While the price is higher, it is an all-in-one system, meaning it comes with a case, that has a touch screen, some buttons, an SD Card slot and more. Imagine it as a board, where you would develop your own smart clock in a box, for example.
Let's look at these options in more detail.
| Based on | Price | Deep-sleep consumption | Builtin Charging | LED | Other features | Size | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 TTGO T-Display | ESP32 | 350uA | Yes | Bettery | Onboard 1.14" IPS LCD Display | 51.52 x 25.04mm | 8g | |
 Adafruit Feather V2 | ESP32 | 80uA | Yes | LED + NeoPixel | 52.3 x 22.8mm | 6g | ||
 SparkFun Thing Plus | ESP32 | 20uA | No | RGB | MicroSD card slot | 64.77 x 22.86mm | ||
 SparkFun IoT RedBoard | ESP32 | 20uA | Yes | Charge/Power/Rx/Tx/User + NeoPixel | Arduino Uno Layout | 68.58 x 58.42mm | ||
 M5Stack Core2 | ESP32 | 260 uA | Yes | Power | All-in-one System | 54 x 54mm | 52g | |
DFRobot FireBeetle 2 | ESP32-E | 10uA | Yes | RGB | 25.4 x 60mm | 23g | ||
Adafruit Pico V3 | ESP32-PICO-D4 | 20uA | Yes | RGB | 21 x 17.5mm |
ESP32-S2 #
If you don't need the dual-core processor, that the original ESP32 provides and would better save power instead, the ESP32-S2 based development board might be an option for you. Here we have a list of the popular development boards with USB-C port, based on the ESP32-S2 microcontroller.
First, we have the popular and cost-effective boards from Wemos, such as the S2 Mini and S2 Pico. The Mini version is exactly what the name suggests, it comes in a small package and costs only around 5 USD, while the Pico version is a bit bigger board, but it comes with an onboard OLED display and still costs only around 8 USD.
Next, the Adafruit again offers several options with USB C port. The QT Py is an extremely small board, which weights only 2g, while the TinyS2 is still tiny, comes in a little bit bigger package, in case you would need more GPIOs. And if you need a full-sized version of the development board, there is the ESP32-S2 Feather, which comes in the "standard" size of ESP boards, and the ESP32-S2 Metro, which comes in the layout similar to Arduino UNO.
Let's see these options more closely.
| Price | Deep-sleep consumption | Builtin Charging | LED | Other features | Size | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20uA | - | Power | 34.3 x 25.4mm | 2.4g | |||
 Wemos S2 Pico | 20uA | - | Power | Onboard OLED Display | 50 x 23mm | 4g | |
 Adafruit TinyS2 | Yes | RGB | 17.8 x 41mm | ||||
 Adafruit ESP32-S2 Feather | 80uA | Yes | On/Charge/User + NeoPixel | 52.4 x 22.8mm | |||
Adafruit QT Py | 70uA | - | NeoPixel | 21.8 x 17.9mm | 2g | ||
Adafruit Metro ESP32-S2 | Yes | User | Similar layout to Arduino UNO | 53.2 x 72mm | 23g |
ESP32-S3 #
In case your project requires neutral network computing or signal processing, the ESP32S3 might be just the microcontroller you need, as it comes with the AI Acceleration Support.
Again, lets start from the most cost-effective options. We have the Speed Studio XIAO ESP32S3 and Wemos S3, which both provides an ultra low power consumption in deep sleep mode and comes under 10 USD.
Next, we have the options from Adafruit. The QT Py comes in a very low package, with a stunning weight of only 1.2g and only at around 13 USD. Following, we have the popular option Adafruit Feather, which comes with the ESP32S3, TinyS3 in a small package and the ProS3, if you would need the more powerful option.
Finally, we have the option from ESP32 manufacturer - Espressif Systems. With the ESP32S3, they provide the All-in-one System - ESP32-S3-Box and ESP32-S3-Box-Lite, which provides the full system with casing.
| Price | Deep-sleep consumption | Builtin Charging | LED | Other features | Size | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32S3 | 14uA | Yes | User/Charge | 21 x 17.5mm | |||
Adafruit ESP32-S3 Feather (FeatherS3) | 100uA | Yes | On/Charge/User + NeoPixel | 52.5 x 22.8mm | 8.2g | ||
 LILYGO T-Display-S3 | 300uA | 1.9" LCD Touch Screen Display | 62 x 26mm | ||||
 Espressif ESP32-S3-BOX and ESP32-S3-BOX-Lite | Yes | Power/Mute | All-in-one System | 61 x 66mm | 292g | ||
Wemos S3 | 10uA | - | Power | 65.3 x 25.4mm | 9g | ||
Adafruit QT Py | 70uA | - | NeoPixel | 21.7 x 17.8mm | 1.2g | ||
Adafruit TinyS3 | Yes | Power/Charge + RGB | |||||
Adafruit ProS3 | Yes | RGB |
ESP32-C3 #
You don't like the Espressif designed architecture and would better use RISC-V? The ESP32-C3 is the first ESP32 chip, that comes with the single-core 32bit RISC-V.
First, we have some popular, small and cheap boards, such as Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32C3 and C3 Mini/Pico from Wemos. Next, we have the updated version of DFRobot Beetle, the Beetle ESP32C3 and TTGO T-OI PLUS from LillyGo. Following, we have an option with the LCD Display - LillyGo T-PicoC3.
Also, Espressif has its own development board with ESP32-C3 chip - Espressif ESP32-C3 DevKit-RUST-1.
From the less popular options, that are not very widely known, we have the Olimex ESP32-C3-DevKit-Lipo and Heltec ESP32-C3
| Price | Deep-sleep consumption | Builtin Charging | LED | Other features | Size | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32C3 | 44uA | Yes | Charge | 21 x 17.5mm | |||
 Wemos C3 Mini | 10uA | - | NeoPixel | 34.3 x 25.4mm | 2.6g | ||
 LillyGo T-PicoC3 | - | RGB | 1.14" IPS LCD Display | 25.5 x 51.6mm | |||
 Espressif ESP32-C3 DevKit-RUST-1 | 10uA | Yes | Status + NeoPixel | ||||
 Heltec ESP32-C3 | 5.5uA | Yes | Power | 20.3 x 40.6mm | |||
 Adafruit QT Py ESP32-C3 | 300uA | - | NeoPixel | 22 x 17.8mm | 2.1g | ||
Wemos C3 Pico | 10uA | - | NeoPixel | 25.4 x 25.4mm | 2.6g | ||
DFRobot Beetle ESP32C3 | 10uA | Yes | User | Comes with expansion board for easy display connection | 25 x 20.5mm | 12g | |
LillyGo TTGO T-OI PLUS | Yes | Power/Charge | Battery Holder | 25.5 x 47mm | |||
Olimex ESP32-C3-DevKit-Lipo | 65uA | Yes | Status | 48 x 28mm |
ESP32-C6 #
From the newer releases of ESP32, specifically the ESP32C6, released in 2021, currently we have only one option - the official Espressif Espressif ESP32-C6-DevKitC-1. To have a clearer view, lets put it in the same table as previously.
| Price | Deep-sleep consumption | Builtin Charging | LED | Other features | Size | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Espressif ESP32-C6-DevKitC-1 | 7uA | - | Power + NeoPixel |
Conclusion #
Overall, there are many options available when it comes to ESP32 development boards with a USB Type-C port and more are being released from time to time. Whether you're looking for the original ESP32, the newer ESP32S2 and ESP32S3, or the latest ESP32C3 and ESP32C6, there is a board that will meet your needs. Each board has its own unique features and capabilities, making it important to carefully consider your specific requirements before making a purchase. With so many options to choose from, you can easily find the perfect ESP32 development board to help you bring your project to life. Especially with USB type C port, it is a convenient option nowadays, as many devices are already using USB-C port and probably you have at least one or more USB type C cables.