Arm Keil MDK vs Zephyr SDK
Arm Keil MDK
keil.arm.com
Zephyr SDK
zephyrproject.orgSide by side
| Figure | Arm Keil MDK | Zephyr SDK |
|---|---|---|
| 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 · Embedded Systems Toolchains | 9.5 (#1) | 7.1 (#24) |
| License | MDK components are governed by Arm end-user license agreements rather than an open-source license. | The Zephyr Project says its software is available under the Apache 2.0 open source license and free for commercial and non-commercial solutions. |
| Purpose | Keil MDK simplifies embedded software development for Cortex-M and Ethos-U processors through CLI, IDE, or continuous integration workflows. | Zephyr SDK provides GNU and LLVM toolchains for Zephyr-supported architectures, plus host tools including custom QEMU and OpenOCD. |
| Support | Keil MDK support offers support cases, a community forum, documentation, and learning videos. | Community support is provided through mailing lists and Discord. |
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.
Zephyr SDK
Zephyr SDK has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.