Arm Keil MDK vs STM32CubeIDE
Arm Keil MDK
keil.arm.comSTM32CubeIDE
st.comSide by side
| Figure | Arm Keil MDK | STM32CubeIDE |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $99/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 8 | 1 |
| Spec score · IDE Software | 9.4 (#1) | 7.4 (#37) |
| Spec score · Embedded Systems Toolchains | 9.5 (#1) | 7.4 (#23) |
| Spec score · Embedded Development IDEs | 9.5 (#1) | 7.3 (#19) |
| Spec score · C++ IDEs | 9.5 (#1) | 7.3 (#21) |
| Spec score · IoT Development Tools | 9.4 (#1) | 7.4 (#9) |
| Debugging | The VS Code integration supports pyOCD with ST-Link, CMSIS-DAP and ULINK, plus J-Link Server. | Listed debug features include breakpoints, CPU core registers, memory view, live data, SFR registers, RTOS debugging, and fault analysis. |
| Integrations | MDK v6 feature listings include CMSIS-FreeRTOS, Keil RTX5, MDK-Middleware, IoT clients, CMSIS-DAP, ULink, and third-party debug adapter support. | ST says the IDE is commonly used with STM32CubeMX and is compatible with TouchGFX Designer, STM32Cube AI Studio, and motor control workbench. |
| License | MDK components are governed by Arm end-user license agreements rather than an open-source license. | ST says STM32CubeIDE is free to download and use, while the application itself is proprietary software from ST. |
| Purpose | Keil MDK simplifies embedded software development for Cortex-M and Ethos-U processors through CLI, IDE, or continuous integration workflows. | STM32CubeIDE is a C/C++ development environment for editing, compiling, and debugging STM32 code. |
| Telemetry | Keil Studio collects usage data according to VS Code telemetry settings, which users can change. | The VS Code documentation says telemetry collects minimal, non-personal information, is optional, and can be disabled through Visual Studio Code settings. |
Plans
Arm Keil MDK
- EssentialPriced on request
- ProfessionalPriced on request
- ProfessionalPriced on request
- CommunityFree
- Keil MDK v6 Essential82.39 CHF a month
- Keil MDK v6 Essential$99 a month
- Keil MDK v6 Professional165.60 CHF a month
- Keil MDK v6 Professional$199 a month
In their own words
Arm Keil MDK
Arm Keil MDK is a toolchain for embedded software targeting Cortex-M and Ethos-U processors. MDK v6 supports command-line, IDE, and continuous-integration workflows across major operating systems. It includes Keil Studio extensions for Visual Studio Code, Keil μVision, Arm Compiler for Embedded, and Arm Fixed Virtual Platform models. Software packs add device and board support, middleware, components, code templates, and example projects independently of the toolchain. Keil Studio supports CMSIS workflows with an integrated debugger and extensions for creating, building, and testing embedded applications. Listed integrations include CMSIS-FreeRTOS, Keil RTX5, MDK-Middleware, IoT clients, CMSIS-DAP, ULink, and third-party debug adapters. Community is for non-commercial use. The listed MDK v6 Essential plan costs $99 a month per license; Professional costs $199 a month per license and adds Arm Virtual Hardware, functional-safety compiler tools, and legacy tools including Arm Compiler 5. Keil μVision is available only for Windows hosts.
STM32CubeIDE
STM32CubeIDE is a C/C++ environment for editing, compiling, and debugging code for STM32 devices. ST offers an Eclipse-based IDE and a Visual Studio Code variant, and identifies the VS Code version as its primary IDE focus. The Eclipse version supports all STM32 microcontrollers and microprocessors; the VS Code version supports all STM32 microcontrollers. Both are listed for 64-bit Windows, Linux, and macOS.
The IDE includes a C/C++ editor and supports GCC and Clang toolchains. Debugging features include breakpoints, CPU core registers, memory and live-data views, SFR registers, RTOS debugging, and fault analysis. Supported probes include ST-LINK and SEGGER J-Link. ST says the IDE is commonly used with STM32CubeMX and is compatible with TouchGFX Designer, STM32Cube AI Studio, and motor control workbench. The VS Code variant uses CMake and Ninja. Telemetry is optional and can be disabled in Visual Studio Code settings. It is free to download and use, though the ST application is proprietary.