Arm GNU Toolchain vs QNX Software Development Platform
Arm GNU Toolchain
developer.arm.comQNX Software Development Platform
qnx.softwareSide by side
| Figure | Arm GNU Toolchain | QNX Software Development Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Spec score · Embedded Systems Toolchains | 8.1 (#8) | 7.6 (#18) |
| Components | It includes integrated and validated packages based on GCC, Binutils, glibc, Newlib, and GDB. | The platform includes QNX OS 8.0, the QNX Tool Suite, and QNX Software Center. |
| Purpose | The toolchain lets partners, developers, and the community use features from recent Arm architectures and open-source projects. | QNX SDP 8.0 is a development platform for mission-critical and safety-critical embedded systems. |
| Support | Releases are community supported on a best-effort basis, and Arm does not guarantee prompt answers on public forums or fixes in future releases. | QNX support is available through an online portal, person-to-person help lines, a community portal, and a knowledge base; support plan customers can contact support through the portal. |
Plans
QNX Software Development Platform
- QNX SDP 8.0 Commercial TrialFree
- QNX SDP 8.0 Non-Commercial LicenseFree
- QNX SDP 8.0 Commercial LicensePriced on request
In their own words
Arm GNU Toolchain
Arm GNU Toolchain is a free, open-source set of tools for building C and C++ software for Arm processors. Its integrated, validated packages are based on GCC, Binutils, glibc, Newlib, and GDB, including a debugger. Variants cover bare-metal embedded development as well as Linux kernel and application work. Target processors include Arm A-, R-, and M-profile CPUs, such as Cortex-A, Cortex-R, Cortex-M, and Neoverse. Arm lists cross-toolchains for Windows x86, Linux x86_64 and AArch64, and macOS x86_64 hosts. Releases are published twice a year and checked with the relevant source projects' test suites for regressions. Support is community-based on a best-effort basis; Arm does not promise prompt public-forum answers or fixes in later releases. The releases come without warranty and may not suit particular use cases. From release 15.3.Rel1 onward, new releases are published only through Arm's GitLab project; the developer.arm.com download page is deprecated.
QNX Software Development Platform
QNX Software Development Platform 8.0 is a development environment for mission-critical and safety-critical embedded systems. Its components include QNX OS 8.0, the QNX Tool Suite, QNX Software Center, and Board Support Packages. The OS is fully pre-emptive, with strict timing constraints and guaranteed response times, and is described as near-linearly scalable across systems-on-chip with 2 to 64 CPU cores. Target architectures are Armv8, Armv9, and x86-64. Development tools include the Eclipse-based QNX Momentics IDE, a Visual Studio Code toolkit, and command-line profiling and debugging tools; the listed build options include the QNX system builder and command-line build tools. Security features include secure boot, QNX Trusted Disk, Pathtrust, ASLR, OpenSSL 3, and FIPS 140-2 crypto libraries. QNX Accelerate provides access to cloud hardware targets running QNX technology. Windows, Linux, and macOS are listed as host platforms. A free non-commercial license and a 30-day commercial evaluation are available. Commercial development requires a commercial license, and shipping a product requires a separate distribution license; pricing is on request.