What is FreeRTOS?
An open-source real-time operating system designed for resource-constrained microcontrollers and small processors. Offers kernel with multiprocessing, integrated TCP/IP networking with IPv6, and security-validated connectivity libraries for cloud integration.
FreeRTOS pricing
Plans, per-tier features and add-ons, dated and linked to live pricing. Pricing changes often; always verify at source before you rely on it.
Free (MIT license); commercial support available via OpenRTOS
FreeRTOS
FreeOpen-source under MIT license
OpenRTOS
Contact salesCommercially licensed version with support from WITTENSTEIN high integrity systems
What FreeRTOS does
The capabilities that matter for embedded iot dev, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.
- Target class
- Microcontroller/RTOS
- Rtos type
- Preemptive
- Low power support
- -
- Tls dtls stack
- ✓
- Ota updates
- ✓
- Device management console
- ✓
- Device provisioning
- ✓
- Open source
- ✓
- PSA certified
- ✓
- Rust support
- -
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- Self-hosted
Integrations (8)
Independently observed- AWS IoT Device Shadow
- AWS IoT Jobs
- AWS IoT Device Defender
- AWS IoT Fleet Provisioning
- AWS IoT OTA
- MbedTLS
- WolfSSL
- Percepio Tracealyzer
FreeRTOS alternatives
Other embedded iot dev we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- AWS IoT CoreManaged cloud platform for connecting, authenticating, and managing IoT device fleets at scalelow · 34%
- GoliothCloud infrastructure for building and managing IoT devices with AI capabilitieslow · 26%
- balenaSimplified management platform for containerized IoT device fleets at scalelow · 33%
- MemfaultA cloud platform that provides real-time monitoring, debugging, and firmware update management for embedded devices and IoT systems.low · 43%
- Zephyr RTOSlow · 40%
- ESP-IDFlow · 28%
Compare FreeRTOS
Side by side against other embedded iot dev, attribute by attribute, with a source on every value.
The Vioscale score: one lens on the evidence
Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for FreeRTOS, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | 81 | 0.08 | 6.8 | ✓ |
| Price level | 100 | 0.05 | 5.2 | ✓ |
| Release cadence | 54 | 0.05 | 2.8 | ✓ |
| Integrations | 27 | 0.09 | 2.6 | ✓ |
| Pricing transparency | 25 | 0.08 | 2.1 | ✓ |
| Stars | 73 | 0.03 | 1.9 | ✓ |
| Development activity | 15 | 0.09 | 1.4 | ✓ |
| Reliability | 0 | 0.07 | 0.0 | - |
| Dependent projects | 0 | 0.06 | 0.0 | - |
| Security posture | 0 | 0.07 | 0.0 | - |
| Package downloads | 0 | 0.14 | 0.0 | - |
| Security score | 0 | 0.04 | 0.0 | - |
| Developer Q&A activity | 0 | 0.06 | 0.0 | - |
Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.
All data & sourcesshow ↓
Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.
Activity
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Commits last 30d | 2 | mediumsource · 2026-08-26 · 65% |
Adoption
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Github stars | 7,722 | highsource · 2026-08-26 · 90% |
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | Rtos type: preemptive · Open source: Yes · Ota updates: Yes · Target class: microcontroller/RTOS · Psa certified: Yes · Tls dtls stack: Yes | mediumsource · 2026-08-21 · 60% |
Integrations
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Count | 8 | mediumsource · 2026-08-21 · 60% |
Language
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | C | highsource · 2026-08-26 · 90% |
License
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spdx | MIT | highsource · 2026-08-26 · 95% |