Arm Keil MDK vs Visual Micro
Arm Keil MDK
keil.arm.comVisual Micro
visualmicro.comSide by side
| Figure | Arm Keil MDK | Visual Micro |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $99/mo | $1.58/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 8 | 4 |
| Spec score · Embedded Development IDEs | 9.5 (#1) | 7.4 (#16) |
| Debugging | The VS Code integration supports pyOCD with ST-Link, CMSIS-DAP and ULINK, plus J-Link Server. | Its serial debugger supports boards with a serial interface and includes charting, performance statistics, and break and trace points. |
| Integrations | MDK v6 feature listings include CMSIS-FreeRTOS, Keil RTX5, MDK-Middleware, IoT clients, CMSIS-DAP, ULink, and third-party debug adapter support. | The maker describes integrations with Git repositories and TFS/Azure DevOps, including project libraries. |
| Support | Keil MDK support offers support cases, a community forum, documentation, and learning videos. | Annual licenses include forum support and license assistance for their 12-month term; perpetual licenses include support according to license type and can purchase continued support. |
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
Visual Micro
- Non-Profit/Hobby — 1 machine, 1 year$19 a year
- Non-Profit/Hobby — 1 machine, perpetual$64.99, paid once
- Commercial — 1 machine, 1 year$75 a year
- Commercial — 1 machine, perpetual$250, paid once
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.
Visual Micro
Visual Micro has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.