Blue Pill vs Black Pill: What’s the Difference and How to Choose?

Both Blue Pill and Black Pill are low-cost development boards based on STM32 microcontrollers, commonly used by hobbyists and embedded developers. But they differ in performance, features, and usability.

 Blue Pill Overview

• MCU: STM32F103C8T6 (Cortex-M3, 72 MHz)

• Flash Memory: 64 KB (some have 128 KB unofficially)

• RAM: 20 KB

• USB: Full-Speed USB (device only)

• Programming Interface: ST-Link, UART, or USB (if custom bootloader added)

• Voltage: 3.3V logic (5V power input)

• Size: Compact (34 × 18 mm)

• Price: ~$2–3 USD

• Community Support: Very large

Good for:

• Beginners

• Simple embedded projects (LED, sensors, UART, SPI, I2C)

• Low-budget experimentation

 Black Pill Overview

Note: There are multiple versions of the Black Pill board with different MCUs:

• STM32F103C8T6 (same as Blue Pill)

• STM32F401CCU6

• STM32F411CEU6 (most popular)

 Common Features for STM32F411 Black Pill:

• MCU: STM32F411CEU6 (Cortex-M4, 100 MHz, with FPU)

• Flash Memory: 512 KB

• RAM: 128 KB

• USB: Full-Speed USB (DFU capable)

• Bootloader: Built-in DFU for flashing via USB-C (no need for ST-Link)

• Voltage: 3.3V logic

• Size: 53 × 22 mm

• Extra Peripherals: More GPIOs, better timers, I2S, improved ADC/DAC

• Price: ~$5–10 USD

Good for:

• Intermediate to advanced projects

• Applications needing more RAM/Flash (RTOS, audio, complex sensors)

• USB DFU bootloader (easier development)

• Projects needing higher performance or floating-point operations

 Comparison Table

 How to Choose?

Choose Blue Pill if:

• You are a beginner and want a very cheap STM32 board to learn basics.

• Your project is simple: blinking LEDs, basic sensors, simple communication.

• You don’t need a lot of RAM, Flash, or speed.

Choose Black Pill (STM32F411) if:

• You need more performance for signal processing, RTOS, or math-heavy code.

• You want easier programming via USB (no need for external programmer).

• You plan to use STM32CubeIDE/HAL or advanced features (DMA, FPU, etc.)

• You're making a serious or long-term embedded project.

 Tip:

Make sure to check the actual MCU on the Black Pill. The best version has STM32F411CEU6.