ESP-Hosted: Detailed Comparison

What each solution supports, where they agree, and where they differ.

Solution	Model	Hosts
esp-hosted-linux	FullMAC — the 802.11 MAC runs on the ESP, the host registers a cfg80211 wiphy	Linux
esp-hosted-mcu	Custom — ESP-IDF APIs carried as protobuf RPC	MCU and Linux

Each project's own documentation is the authority for the setup you are building. What follows is a comparison, not a substitute.

Bus and feature support

Group		esp-hosted-linux	esp-hosted-mcu
Bus supported		✓	✓
		✓	✓
			✓
		Bluetooth only	✓
		✓	✓
		✓	✓
Features supported	Linux host	✓	✓
	MCU host, including non-ESP MCUs with porting		✓
	Native wireless interface: wlan0 via cfg80211	✓
	wpa_supplicant, NetworkManager	✓
	ESP-IDF esp_wifi_*() APIs on the host		✓
	Station, AP	✓	✓
	Station and AP at the same time		✓
	Interface presented to the host	802.11	802.3
	Host and ESP share one IP address (using the network split feature)		✓
	Bluetooth over standard HCI	✓	✓
	802.15.4 — Thread, Zigbee		✓
	Host sleep, the ESP stays connected	✓	✓
	Co-processor OTA from the host	✓	✓
	Custom RPCs of your own		✓
	Your own frames across the link		✓

On esp-hosted-linux a lone UART carries Bluetooth but not Wi-Fi — pair it with SDIO or SPI when you need both. On esp-hosted-mcu UART carries both, as Hosted HCI, which is not the same as standard HCI-over-UART; it is the lowest-pin-count option and is not intended above roughly 1 Mbit/s.

Co-processor chipset capabilities

What each part can do, from ESP-IDF soc_caps.h. The BLE column is the version the part is certified for, from the ESP-IDF Bluetooth LE introduction.

Chipset	Wi-Fi	Classic BT	BLE certified	802.15.4
ESP32
ESP32-S2
ESP32-S3
ESP32-C3
ESP32-C2
ESP32-C6
ESP32-C5
ESP32-C61
ESP32-H2
ESP32-H21
ESP32-H4

Radio support

Radio	esp-hosted-linux	esp-hosted-mcu	Remarks
Wi-Fi	✓	✓
Classic Bluetooth	✓	✓	ESP32 is the only co-processor with a Classic radio
BLE	✓	✓	carried as HCI
802.15.4 — Thread, Zigbee		✓

esp-hosted-linux needs a Wi-Fi capable co-processor: the driver exists to present that Wi-Fi to Linux, and Bluetooth rides alongside it.

esp-hosted-mcu takes the co-processor for whichever radios you need. A part with no Wi-Fi at all — H2, H21, H4 — is a valid choice when only Bluetooth or Thread is wanted.

Wi-Fi features

esp-hosted-mcu offers a feature when the RPC surface carries it — an ESP-IDF API with no RPC behind it fails at build or at run time. esp-hosted-linux offers what its driver advertises to cfg80211; anything the host stack does on its own needs nothing from the driver.

✓ supported   ✕ not supported   — not required, the host stack provides it

Feature	esp-hosted-linux	esp-hosted-mcu	Notes
802.11 b/g/n	✓	✓	Req_WifiSetProtocol(s)
802.11 ac	✕	✕	no ESP co-processor implements it
802.11 ax, HE	✕	✓	Req_WifiSetProtocols, on a C5, C6 or C61 co-processor
Station	✓	✓
SoftAP	✓	✓
Station + SoftAP together	✕	✓	the Linux driver exposes one interface at a time
Scan	✓	✓
Open, WPA, WPA2, WPA3	✓	✓	WPA3 on Linux through NL80211_FEATURE_SAE
PMF	✓	✓
WPA2 / WPA3 Enterprise	—	✓	wpa_supplicant handles it on Linux; Req_Eap* on mcu
DPP, Wi-Fi Easy Connect	—	✓	wpa_supplicant handles it on Linux; Req_SuppDpp* on mcu
WPS	—	✕	wpa_supplicant handles it on Linux; no RPC on mcu
Roaming: 802.11 k, v	—	✕	wpa_supplicant handles it on Linux; no RPC on mcu
Roaming: 802.11 r	✕	✕	the Linux driver has no update_ft_ies; no RPC on mcu
iTWT	✕	✓	Req_WifiStaItwt*, needs an 802.11ax co-processor
FTM	✕	✓	Req_WifiFtm*
CSI	✕	✓	Req_WifiSetCsi, Req_WifiSetCsiConfig

The Linux driver declares ht_cap only, with no VHT or HE, and carries no FTM, CSI or FT handling — which settles those rows on that side.

Hosts

	esp-hosted-linux	esp-hosted-mcu
Linux	any Linux platform, with porting	any Linux platform, with porting
Linux demonstrated on	Raspberry Pi 3, 4, 5 · i.MX8M Mini	Raspberry Pi 3, 4, 5 · i.MX8M Mini
ESP as host	—	any ESP SoC; demonstrated on ESP32-P4 with a C6 co-processor
Other MCUs	—	any MCU, with porting; STM32 tested