GNAT Studio vs IAR Embedded Workbench
GNAT Studio
adacore.com
IAR Embedded Workbench
iar.comSide by side
| Figure | GNAT Studio | IAR Embedded Workbench |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 2 |
| Spec score · IDE Software | 7.3 (#41) | 8.5 (#10) |
| Debugger | GNAT Studio integrates with gdb and provides graphical views including a call stack, variable values, and breakpoints. | C-SPY provides real-time trace, code coverage, profiling and RTOS-aware debugging. |
| Debugging | GNAT Studio integrates with gdb and provides graphical views including a call stack, variable values, and breakpoints. | The C-SPY debugger provides real-time trace, code coverage, function profiling, and RTOS awareness. |
| Extensibility | GNAT Studio provides a Python API for customizing features and developing plugins. | The IDE supports custom build tools, external tools, custom argument variables and adding IAR Visual State. |
| Purpose | GNAT Studio is an integrated development environment that brings together tools used in software development. | IAR Embedded Workbench is an embedded development toolchain with an optimized compiler, debugger, and analysis tools. |
| Support | AdaCore describes its products as coming with expert online support provided by the developers themselves. | IAR provides customer portal access to technical support, technical articles, and customer support, plus self-service online training through IAR Academy. |
Plans
IAR Embedded Workbench
- IAR Embedded Workbench evaluationFree
- IAR Platform subscriptionPriced on request
In their own words
GNAT Studio
GNAT Studio has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
IAR Embedded Workbench
IAR Embedded Workbench is an embedded development toolchain with an IDE, optimizing compiler, linker, assembler, and debugger. It supports over 20 architectures, including Arm, RISC-V, 8051, MSP430, AVR, and several Renesas families. The C-SPY debugger provides real-time trace, code coverage, function profiling, and RTOS awareness. IAR C-STAT offers static analysis; IAR C-RUN detects runtime errors and is available for Arm and RX. The toolchain works with VS Code and Eclipse, supports CMake builds, and can integrate with CI/CD pipelines. Supported debug probes include I-jet, I-jet Trace, J-Link, PE Micro, and ST-LINK. Built-in plugins provide RTOS awareness for systems including PX5 RTOS and Zephyr RTOS. The IDE runs natively on Linux and Windows. A 14-day evaluation is available for non-commercial use, but excludes runtime library source code, C-STAT, and MISRA C support and includes limited technical support. Paid subscription pricing is available by request; the subscription combines named-user licenses and build capacity for automated builds and CI/CD.