11 of the 20 features in our table differ between the ESP32-C5 and the ESP32-H2.
Dual-band Wi-Fi 6, BLE, Thread and Zigbee
The only one of these eight with 5 GHz: Wi-Fi 6 on both bands, plus Bluetooth LE, Thread and Zigbee, and PSRAM support.
Watch out: The newest chip here: fewer boards and examples so far, and ESPHome needs the ESP-IDF framework.
Thread, Zigbee and BLE, no Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi: Thread, Zigbee and Bluetooth LE only, made for battery sensors in a mesh network.
Watch out: It needs a Thread border router, a Zigbee coordinator or a BLE gateway to reach your network.
| Feature | ESP32-C5 | ESP32-H2 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1 × RISC-V, 240 MHz | 1 × RISC-V, 96 MHz |
| Low-power core | LP RISC-V core | No |
| SRAM | 384 KB | 320 KB |
| PSRAM | In-package or external | No |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), 2.4 + 5 GHz | No |
| Bluetooth | LE 5 (Core 6.0 certified) | LE 5.3 |
| GPIO | 29 | 19 |
| ADC channels | 6 | 5 |
| TWAI (CAN) | 2 (CAN FD) | 1 |
| Deep sleep | See datasheet | 7 µA |
| ESPHome | Yes (ESP-IDF) | Yes (ESP-IDF, over Thread) |
Same on both: Thread / Zigbee, USB, DAC, Touch pins, Camera, Display interface, Ethernet MAC, AI / DSP, and Arduino-ESP32.
Open the ESP32 comparison →Tick what your project needs and see which of the eight chips fits best.
The ESP32-C5 has Wi-Fi on the chip (Wi-Fi 6 on 2.4 and 5 GHz), PSRAM for large buffers (camera, display, audio), a faster CPU (240 against 96 MHz), and more internal SRAM (384 against 320 KB). The ESP32-H2 has a lean radio for battery end devices on Thread or Zigbee (no Wi-Fi to power or set up).
Espressif rates the ESP32-H2 at 7 µA in deep sleep; for the ESP32-C5, check the latest datasheet. On a board the regulator and the LEDs usually draw more than either chip.
Arduino-ESP32 and ESP-IDF support both chips, so most code builds for either; pin numbers, strapping pins and some peripherals change. Anything that uses Wi-Fi on the chip (Wi-Fi 6 on 2.4 and 5 GHz) or PSRAM for large buffers (camera, display, audio) won’t carry over: the ESP32-H2 doesn’t have that hardware.
ESP32 vs ESP32-C5 ESP32 vs ESP32-H2 ESP32-C3 vs ESP32-C5 ESP32-C3 vs ESP32-H2 ESP32-C5 vs ESP32-C6 ESP32-C5 vs ESP32-P4 ESP32-C5 vs ESP32-S2 ESP32-C5 vs ESP32-S3 ESP32-C6 vs ESP32-H2 ESP32-H2 vs ESP32-P4 ESP32-H2 vs ESP32-S2 ESP32-H2 vs ESP32-S3
Figures from Espressif datasheets, ESPHome and Arduino-ESP32 documentation, checked in November 2026.