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PlatformIO VS ArduBlock

Compare PlatformIO VS ArduBlock and see what are their differences

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PlatformIO logo PlatformIO

Next-generation IDE for IoT

ArduBlock logo ArduBlock

ArduBlock is a graphical programming language plugin specifically made for Arduino circuits and controllers.
  • PlatformIO Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-04
  • ArduBlock Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-05

PlatformIO features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Support
    PlatformIO provides a unified environment that can be used on Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it versatile for developers who work across different operating systems.
  • Library Management
    PlatformIO has a built-in library management system that helps to manage dependencies easily, including automatic library updates and versioning.
  • Integrated Debugging
    It offers integrated debugging capabilities for a wide range of microcontrollers, which simplifies the process of troubleshooting and fine-tuning code.
  • IDE Integration
    PlatformIO is compatible with popular IDEs such as Visual Studio Code, Atom, and Eclipse, allowing developers to work within their preferred environments.
  • Extensive Board Support
    The platform supports a wide variety of development boards and microcontrollers, providing flexibility for various types of projects.
  • Continuous Integration
    PlatformIO can easily be integrated with CI/CD pipelines, which helps in automating the build and deployment process.
  • Community and Documentation
    There is a strong community and comprehensive documentation available, which can be very helpful for troubleshooting and learning.

Possible disadvantages of PlatformIO

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For beginners, the multitude of features and configurations can be overwhelming, leading to a steep learning curve.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users report performance issues, such as slow IDE performance, especially when dealing with large projects.
  • Complex Configuration
    The configuration files (`platformio.ini`) can become quite complex, particularly for advanced projects, which may be challenging to manage.
  • Limited GUI Options
    It lacks a full-fledged graphical interface for some advanced settings and debugging options, relying more on configuration files and command line.
  • Dependency on External Tools
    PlatformIO relies on various external tools and plugins, which sometimes may lead to compatibility issues or additional overhead in setting up the development environment.
  • Less Native Support
    While it supports many third-party boards and environments, official support and updates may lag behind native tools specifically provided by those third parties.

ArduBlock features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    ArduBlock provides a graphical interface for programming Arduino, making it accessible for beginners who may not be familiar with text-based coding.
  • Visual Learning
    ArduBlock's block-based programming encourages learning through visual representation, which can be effective for young students and visual learners.
  • Quick Prototyping
    With its drag-and-drop interface, ArduBlock allows for rapid development and testing of ideas without needing to type complex codes.

Possible disadvantages of ArduBlock

  • Limited Functionality
    ArduBlock may not support all the features available in the Arduino IDE, which can be limiting for advanced users who need more control and customizability.
  • Performance Constraints
    The block-based approach can sometimes lead to inefficient code that may not perform as well as code optimized by a skilled programmer.
  • Transition to Text-Based Coding
    Users who start with ArduBlock might find it challenging to transition to traditional text-based programming, which offers more versatility and power.

Analysis of PlatformIO

Overall verdict

  • Overall, PlatformIO is highly regarded in the development community for its flexibility, extensive feature set, and support for a wide range of development boards and microcontrollers. It is considered an excellent choice for developers looking to streamline their development process across different platforms.

Why this product is good

  • PlatformIO is often considered good because it is an open-source ecosystem for IoT development with cross-platform build systems, library management, and support for multiple environments and boards. It integrates well with popular IDEs like VSCode, offering a unified development experience with features like automatic code completion, debugging, and unit testing. Its extensive library of packages and tools simplifies the process of managing dependencies and configurations.

Recommended for

    PlatformIO is recommended for embedded systems developers, IoT engineers, and hobbyists who need a versatile and robust development environment. It is especially beneficial for those who work with multiple microcontroller platforms and require an IDE with comprehensive tooling support.

PlatformIO videos

+ Add

#264 PlatformIO for Arduino, ESP8266, and ESP32 Tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - A Better Arduino IDE - Getting Started with PlatformIO

ArduBlock videos

+ Add

ENCENDIDO DE UN LED CON ARDUBLOCK

More videos:

  • Review - Getting Started with ArduBlock
  • Review - ArduBlock Arduino Smart Robot Car V4: CÓMO JUGAR? - control móvil y programación gráfica

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PlatformIO and ArduBlock)

PlatformIO

ArduBlock

IDE
76 76%
IDE
24% 24
Text Editors
100 100%
Text Editors
0% 0
Development
54 54%
Development
46% 46
Electronics
100 100%
Electronics
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PlatformIO seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 56 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

PlatformIO mentions (56)

  • 13 yo "Vibe Coding" on Raspberry Pi and Arduino
    We searched for other IDEs that would be simple to use, allow easy import of Arduino libraries, and upload the code on the board. I wanted something of the like of Atom editor, but it was not supported on Raspberry Pi (and deprecated now). We found that PlatformIO could be an option. It is a plugin in VSCode that can manage many type of boards. We went ahead, installed VScode, then the PlatformIO extension. We... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Help Needed with Tauri Desktop App for NFC Card Enrollment on ESP32
    For the ESP32 in read mode, we've successfully developed a project using PlatformIO that accepts the key during build time and stores it in memory. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • It's 2023 why embedded development is so cumbersome?(rant)
    Check out Zephyr OS and Platform IO. Zephyr is part of the Linux foundation and has similarities to Linux with how it performs hardware abstraction (device tree). Platform IO integrates with other frameworks including mbed and Arduino. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Debug program using PlatformIO and avr-stub
    PlatformIO together with avr-stub can be used to do source level debugging but there are some caveats. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Do you know some sbc or soc that can be programed to run rtos and c++ on top?
    Look into https://platformio.org/, it can abstract over a few RTOSes, and can show you which OSes work with which chips/boards. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

ArduBlock mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ArduBlock yet. Tracking of ArduBlock recommendations started around Sep 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PlatformIO and ArduBlock, you can also consider the following products

Arduino IDE - Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware...

Visuino - Visuino is a visual programming environment that lets you write programs from Arduino circuit boards.

Visual Micro - Arduino IDE for Visual Studio and Atmel Studio

Modkit - Modkit is an open-source programming platform that allows programmers with a variety of backgrounds to share their creations and learn from each other and is allowing programmers to make beautiful software.

embedXcode - embedXcode is a template for Xcode.

MINIBLOQ - miniBloq is an open source graphical programming environment for Multiplo™, Arduino™, physical computing devices and robots.

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