The ESP8266 has been a widely popular Wi-Fi module for IoT projects but new alternatives have emerged in 2025.
Reasons for seeking alternatives include limited processing power, lack of BLE support, higher power consumption, security concerns, and limited GPIOs.
The best alternatives in 2025 include ESP32, Raspberry Pi Pico W, nRF52840, Wio Terminal, STM32WB55, and Realtek RTL8720DN.
Each alternative offers unique features and is suitable for different use cases such as smart home automation, industrial IoT, low-power IoT, and more.