Apache Mynewt vs Contiki-NG

Apache Mynewt is a free, open-source real-time operating system and development toolkit for embedded systems. It targets Cortex-M0–M4, MIPS and RISC-V microcontrollers and includes a hardware abstraction layer and board support packages. Its wireless and networking options include BLE 5, Bluetooth Mesh, LoRaWAN, TCP/IP, UDP, CoAP and 6LoWPAN. NimBLE can be configured as a full stack, host only or controller only, with up to 2 Mbps throughput and 32+ concurrent connections. Device tools cover remote firmware image management, logging, component and network statistics, and sensors; the project also describes device discovery and management using OIC 1.1. Newt combines source package management with building, debugging and installing embedded applications. Security features include device identity, secure boot, encrypted and authenticated communications, and secure over-the-air updates. The project describes uses ranging from doorbells to medical devices and power grids. Mynewt is available under Apache License 2.0. Newt installation instructions cover macOS, Linux and Windows, while simulator support has narrower native platform coverage and documented limits.

Contiki-NG is a free, open-source operating system for resource-constrained Internet of Things devices, designed for low-power communication and standard protocols. Its code footprint is on the order of 100 kB, and memory use can be configured as low as 10 kB. The IPv6 stack includes TCP, UDP, DNS, RPL, CoAP, LWM2M, and WebSockets, with IEEE 802.15.4 and TSCH support below IPv6. Documented modules include IPv6 multicast, OMA LWM2M, secure CoAP, 6TiSCH, and SNMP. Security documentation describes DTLS with Mbed TLS, pre-shared keys or certificates, and EDHOC key exchange. Link-layer security is supported for IEEE 802.15.4 TSCH; CSMA link-layer security is described as planned. Documented hardware includes TI, Nordic, Silicon Labs, OpenMote, Tmote Sky/TelosB, and Zolertia boards. Development resources include Cooja native motes, a Renode tutorial, Docker, and native Linux and macOS toolchain setup. It is available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted environments, and source code is distributed under the 3-clause BSD license unless otherwise specified.