Meet XIAO ESP32-C5: The First XIAO Dev Board with Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6
Why XIAO ESP32-C5 Matters for Your Next IoT Project? Discover why we built it, the gap it fills in today’s ESP32 lineup, and how it powers real-world IoT & high-performance projects.Perfect read if you’re planning your next connected product!
As IoT deployments scale, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi is becoming a bottleneck rather than an asset. Network congestion is no longer occasional—it’s the norm, leading to dropped connections, unpredictable latency, and poor scalability in multi-device environments. While 5 GHz Wi-Fi offers superior performance, most solutions remain impractical for developers due to constraints in size, power consumption, and ecosystem support.
Introducing the Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-C5—a thumb-sized development board that brings modern dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity to the XIAO ecosystem. Powered by Espressif’s ESP32-C5 chip, it supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi 6 in an ultra-compact form factor, making reliable wireless connectivity achievable for real-world IoT applications.
What Makes XIAO ESP32-C5 Stand Out？
The XIAO ESP32-C5 is the first board in the XIAO series to support 5 GHz Wi-Fi, delivering next-generation wireless capabilities in the lineup’s signature thumb-sized package. Designed for developers building performance-critical and future-proof IoT devices, it expands the XIAO ecosystem to handle high-speed 5 GHz applications while maintaining low power consumption and cost efficiency.
- Multi–Protocol Wireless Connectivity
Supports dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 GHz & 5 GHz), Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Thread—making it ideal for smart home hubs, Matter-enabled devices, edge gateways, and multi-protocol IoT products requiring stable, low-latency connectivity.
In smart homes, this enables seamless device bridging across different ecosystems with minimal latency. For robotics and swarm applications, it ensures reliable inter-device communication even in high-density environments. In industrial and commercial settings, multi-protocol support enables robust, low-power nodes that interoperate efficiently with sensors, gateways, and controllers across heterogeneous networks.
- High-Performance Processing
The XIAO ESP32-C5 features a 32-bit RISC-V processor at 240 MHz, 384 KB SRAM, 320 KB ROM, and up to 8 MB PSRAM. This ensures smooth multitasking and protocol handling—allowing smart home hubs and Matter devices to run reliably, robots and swarm systems to coordinate in real time, and industrial IoT nodes to process data efficiently in dense deployments.
- Comprehensive Software Ecosystem
Compatible with Arduino, PlatformIO, Micropython, and ESP-IDF, enabling a smooth onboarding experience for both makers and professional developers. Complete documentation and resources are available on our official wiki:
- Hardware Improvements Driven by Community Feedback
Compared with previous XIAO ESP32 boards(ESP32-C3, ESP32-S3, ESP32-S3 Sense, ESP32-C6), XIAO ESP32-C5 incorporates meaningful hardware refinements based on user input: A larger, easier-to-press user button for improved tactile feedback
If you would like to explore the differences across XIAO ESP32-C3/C5/C6/S3/S3 Sense, please refer to this detailed comparison table.
2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz Wi-Fi: Which Should You Use?
With dual-band Wi-Fi 6, the XIAO ESP32-C5 lets developers select the optimal frequency for their application, balancing range, speed, and reliability. Understanding the trade-offs between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz helps optimize performance for smart home hubs, robotics, and industrial IoT deployments.
| Feature | 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi | 5 GHz Wi-Fi | Notes for XIAO ESP32-C5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage Range | Longer, penetrates walls better | Shorter, more limited | Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 allows flexible choice based on environment |
| Speed & Capacity | Moderate speed, fewer channels | Higher speed, more channels | Choose 5 GHz for high-throughput applications or multi-device scenarios |
| Interference & Congestion | More prone to interference from household devices | Less congested, cleaner spectrum | Dual-band helps mitigate real-world congestion issues |
| Network Latency | Higher latency in crowded networks | Lower latency, more stable | Critical for robotics, smart home automation, and industrial IoT |
| Device Compatibility | Broad, almost all Wi-Fi devices | Limited to 5 GHz compatible devices | XIAO ESP32-C5 supports both, ensuring maximum flexibility |
This comparison illustrates how the XIAO ESP32-C5’s dual-band capability empowers developers to tailor connectivity strategies to their specific environment and application requirements.
Join the XIAO ESP32-C5 Revolution
The Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-C5 is officially now—bringing dual-band Wi-Fi 6, multi-protocol support, and high-performance processing to your fingertips!
Now it is avaliable on our official sales channels of our webstore Bazaar, and AliExpress Store at MRSP $6.9.
Get Yours Now!!!👇
With the XIAO ESP32-C5 launch, we’re excited to introduce the XIAO Open Roadmap. See upcoming boards, firmware updates, and features, give feedback, and align your projects with XIAO’s evolving ecosystem. Explore what’s next and help shape the future of compact, powerful MCUs!
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