Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Visual Micro VS XOD

Compare Visual Micro VS XOD and see what are their differences

Visual Micro logo Visual Micro

Arduino IDE for Visual Studio and Atmel Studio

XOD logo XOD

A visual programming language for microcontrollers. Like code, but better.
  • Visual Micro Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-30
  • XOD Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-10-29

Visual Micro features and specs

  • Integration with Microsoft Visual Studio
    Visual Micro integrates with Microsoft Visual Studio, allowing users to leverage the powerful features and familiar interface of a professional development environment while working on Arduino projects.
  • Advanced Debugging Features
    It offers advanced debugging capabilities beyond what traditional Arduino IDE provides, such as breakpoints, variable watches, and real-time data tracking, which can greatly enhance the development process.
  • Support for Multiple Boards
    Visual Micro supports a wide range of Arduino boards and compatible devices, making it versatile for various project requirements and allowing developers to work seamlessly across different hardware.
  • Extensive Library Management
    The tool provides comprehensive library management features, making it easier to find, install, and update libraries directly within the development environment.

Possible disadvantages of Visual Micro

  • Complexity for Beginners
    Due to its integration with Visual Studio, the interface may be overwhelming for beginners who are not familiar with complex IDEs, possibly steepening the learning curve.
  • Requires Visual Studio Installation
    Using Visual Micro necessitates having Microsoft Visual Studio installed, which could be a downside for users looking for lightweight or standalone Arduino development solutions.
  • Paid Features
    Some advanced features of Visual Micro are only available in the paid version, which may not be ideal for hobbyists or those looking for completely free tools.
  • Platform Limitations
    As a Windows-based solution requiring Visual Studio, it limits users who work on other operating systems like macOS or Linux from utilizing its features.

XOD features and specs

  • Visual Programming
    XOD uses a visual programming interface, which makes it accessible for beginners and those who prefer graphical representation over text-based coding.
  • Node-based Design
    The node-based approach allows users to build complex logic by connecting pre-built nodes, enhancing modularity and reusability in projects.
  • Cross-platform
    XOD runs on various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing flexibility to users across different platforms.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, XOD encourages community contributions and allows users to modify and improve the software according to their needs.
  • Arduino Support
    XOD has native support for Arduino, making it easy to program and control Arduino-based projects without writing extensive code.

Possible disadvantages of XOD

  • Limited Advanced Features
    XOD may lack some advanced features found in more mature IDEs or programming environments, possibly limiting its use in more complex projects.
  • Learning Curve
    Although simpler than traditional coding, users familiar with text-based coding might take some time to get accustomed to the visual programming paradigm.
  • Community Size
    As a relatively niche platform, XOD might have a smaller community compared to other environments, potentially leading to limited resources and community support.
  • Performance
    Visual programming environments can sometimes lead to increased resource consumption and slower performance compared to streamlined text-based code.
  • Library Limitations
    While it supports many functionalities, XOD might not have an extensive range of libraries compared to larger ecosystems like Python or C++.

Visual Micro videos

Visual Micro Tutorials #1: Setup

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Visual Micro Tutorials #5: Advanced Arduino Debugging

XOD videos

Arduino Programming with XOD - Learning XOD

More videos:

  • Review - The wonders of XOD for Arduino programming
  • Review - XOD Network - 2020 Year In Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Visual Micro and XOD)
IDE
48 48%
52% 52
Electronics
56 56%
44% 44
Development
41 41%
59% 59
Text Editors
53 53%
47% 47

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, XOD seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 3 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.

Visual Micro mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Visual Micro yet. Tracking of Visual Micro recommendations started around Mar 2021.

XOD mentions (3)

  • PSA: If you're a fan of ATmega, try AVR Dx
    Yep. Atmel/Microchip AVRs popularized by megaAVR ATMega328 toolchain favors their restricted C/C++ subset. There are a couple of alternative languages that don't require a computer host to drive them: Visual programming language: https://xod.io There was Céu: https://github.com/ceu-lang/ceu-arduino And one can always try AVR assembly if they're really curious. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • GUI for programming PIC
    Idk much about PIC, but there are a variety of visual programming options for Arduino-like boards. You can check out XOD. there's also Simulink for embedded programming using visual "blocks", but I think it is a bit of a steep learning curve, and it's quite costly if you can't get a educational license. Source: over 3 years ago
  • How can I install XOD.io on Manjaro KDE?
    Would like to be able to use the program found here https://xod.io/ but I can find it in Manjaro's Package manager. Any way around this using the .rpm or .deb? Source: almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Visual Micro and XOD, you can also consider the following products

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

Circuito.io - Instant code and wiring for your project

PlatformIO - Next-generation IDE for IoT

InstaPart - Build circuit boards faster with parts delivered in <24 hrs

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

embedXcode - embedXcode is a template for Xcode.