Screen and Input

Do you need a keyboard (Cardputer), a touch display (Tab5, watches, Dial), a rotary knob (Dial) or just a button (Atom)? Input decides what kind of device you can build.

Battery

Portable devices need a built-in battery and charging. Check the listing: some include a battery, others (like the Waveshare watch board) need you to add one.

Expansion

M5Stack’s Grove ports accept hundreds of plug-in sensor and actuator units with no soldering. Hat and stamp connectors add more on some models.

Software

M5Stack supports Arduino, ESP-IDF, PlatformIO, MicroPython and its block-based UiFlow2, which is great for beginners and teaching. Most M5Stack devices also have ESPHome configurations.

Chip and Radio

ESP32-S3 models suit displays and voice; the ESP32-C6 NanoC6 adds Thread and Zigbee for Matter; the ESP32-P4 Tab5 handles high-resolution touch UIs and cameras.

The Tab5 is an ESP32 tablet: a 5-inch 1280×720 IPS touchscreen driven by the high-performance ESP32-P4 with 32 MB PSRAM, an ESP32-C6 co-processor for Wi-Fi 6, a 2 MP camera and a battery (this listing includes it). That makes it a ready-made Home Assistant wall panel, a factory HMI, a video-doorbell display or an edge-AI demo device with face recognition. It has about 4.6 stars from 29 ratings, but only 2 were in stock when we checked. For more P4 hardware, see our ESP32-P4 buying guide.

At just 24 × 24 × 9.5 mm, the AtomS3 Lite is a finished ESP32-S3 node smaller than a sugar cube, and the best-rated device in this guide (about 4.8 stars from 28 ratings). It has an ESP32-S3FN8 with 8 MB flash, a 3D antenna, a programmable button and RGB LED, and a Grove port, plus an M2 screw hole for mounting. Plug in a sensor unit, flash ESPHome, and you have a tidy Home Assistant node in minutes. Only 5 were in stock when we checked.

The original Atom Lite uses the classic ESP32 in the same 24 × 24 mm case, and it has the largest review base of M5Stack’s tiny devices here (about 4.4 stars from 72 ratings). It’s a favorite ESPHome Bluetooth proxy, because the original ESP32 supports Bluetooth Classic and has a strong BLE radio, and its IR LED makes it a simple Wi-Fi-to-IR blaster for TVs and air conditioners. Add sensors through the Grove port. Only 5 were in stock when we checked; M5Stack also sells a separate Atom Lite listing (B0FB94ZFXY).

M5Stack calls the NanoC6 its smallest ESP32 RISC-V kit, and it brings the ESP32-C6‘s Wi-Fi 6, Thread and Zigbee radios to an enclosed device you can stick anywhere (about 4.7 stars from 30 ratings). That makes it an easy way to build a Matter-over-Thread sensor or a Zigbee end device: add a sensor via the Grove port, and use the built-in IR emitter and RGB LED for status or remote control. Only 6 were in stock when we checked. Our ESP32-C6 buying guide and Matter overview explain the protocols.

The Dial is a smart rotary knob: turn the ring to dim lights, set a thermostat or scroll a volume level, and tap the 1.28″ round touch screen to switch modes. Inside is a Stamp-S3A ESP32-S3 with 8 MB flash, and the screen uses the familiar GC9A01 driver. It’s a popular base for Home Assistant knobs and industrial setpoint controls, and the round UI works well with LVGL. It has about 3.9 stars from 9 ratings, with 11 in stock. Our displays guide covers round GC9A01 screens in more depth.

LILYGO’s T-Watch-S3 Plus is a genuinely wearable ESP32-S3 watch you program yourself. The Plus version adds GPS to the T-Watch-S3’s BMA423 accelerometer (for step counting and wrist gestures), RTC, microphone, MAX98357A audio amplifier, power monitoring and a 940 mAh battery. It works with Arduino, ESP-IDF, VS Code and MicroPython, and LILYGO’s GitHub library includes example watch faces and sensor demos. Build a GPS run tracker, a BLE notification display or a wrist-mounted Home Assistant remote. It has about 4.3 stars from only 4 ratings, with 18 in stock. LILYGO also sells a LoRa version (B0H4KZWJGQ).

If the watch face is the point, Waveshare’s board has the best screen here: a 2.06-inch 410×502 AMOLED touch display with deep blacks and vivid colour, driven over QSPI by an ESP32-S3. A dual digital microphone array supports voice commands. It’s about 4.7 stars from 10 ratings. Waveshare is clear that this is a DIY watch module, not a pre-configured smartwatch, and that this version doesn’t include a battery, so add a small LiPo and plan to write or flash your own firmware. It’s an excellent platform for LVGL watch UIs and wearable dashboards; Waveshare also sells versions with different accessories (for example B0FJQZ7SBG).

For teaching, the M5GO starter kit pairs M5Stack’s M5GO core controller (an ESP32 with a screen, buttons and battery in a finished case) with six plug-in expansion units, including sensors, actuators and a hub, all connected by Grove cables with no soldering or breadboards. Students can start in the block-based UiFlow2 editor and move on to MicroPython or Arduino on the same hardware. It has about 4.2 stars from 10 ratings, with 12 in stock. For a breadboard-style kit with more components, see our ESP32 starter kits guide.

A gadget you can type on?

The Cardputer Adv.

IR remote or voice gadget?

The StickS3, or an Atom Lite as a fixed IR blaster.

Home Assistant wall panel?

The Tab5, or the Dial for a knob-style control.

Tiny sensor node?

AtomS3 Lite for Wi-Fi, NanoC6 for Thread, Zigbee and Matter.

Something to wear?

T-Watch-S3 Plus for features, Waveshare AMOLED for the screen.

Teaching a class?

The M5GO starter kit with UiFlow2.

Can I program M5Stack devices with ESP-IDF instead of UiFlow?

Yes. M5Stack devices are standard ESP32 hardware, so they work with ESP-IDF, Arduino (via M5Stack’s board package and M5Unified library), PlatformIO and MicroPython. UiFlow2 is optional and handy for beginners. M5Stack publishes pin maps and schematics for each device. See our ESP-IDF getting started tutorial.

Can these work with Home Assistant?

Yes. ESPHome has configurations for most M5Stack devices, including the Atom series, StickS3 and Dial, so you can turn them into buttons, knobs, IR blasters, Bluetooth proxies or sensor nodes. The Tab5 and watch boards are typically programmed with LVGL to show Home Assistant data from its API or MQTT.

Are the ESP32 watches ready to use like a smartwatch?

No. They’re development boards shaped like watches. LILYGO and Waveshare provide example firmware and libraries, but notifications, watch faces and apps are things you build or flash from open-source projects. Battery life is also shorter than commercial smartwatches unless you use deep sleep carefully.

What is the Grove connector?

Grove (HY2.0-4P on M5Stack) is a 4-pin plug carrying power, ground and two signals, usually I2C. M5Stack and Seeed sell hundreds of sensor, relay, motor and display units with matching connectors, so you can expand a device without soldering.

Which of these has the best audio for a voice assistant?

The StickS3 has a proper audio codec, mic and amplifier, making it the best voice pick here. For dedicated voice satellites and far-field microphones, see our ESP32 audio and voice assistant guide, which also covers the M5Stack CoreS3.