how to choose IDE between STM32CubeIDE and Keil for new project?

[Tonypan]

Will STM32CubeIDE be ST's preferred IDE in the future?  

[Markus GIRDLAND]

Hello there!

STM32CubeIDE is developed by ST and because of that it will continue to be supported with new devices and will continue to be a part of the Cube ecosystem.

However, as far as I'm aware there are no plans to stop supporting Keil, it's also a good tool that ST co-operates with and will continue to support through STM32CubeMX code generation, for example.

Because I am in the STM32CubeIDE team I will of course have a biased opinion but I would recommend STM32CubeIDE 😉

[Javier1 · Accepted solution]

I learnt with keil in university (coding with NXP micros) and i switched to STM32CubeIDE 2yrs ago (because now i work with stm32).

keil:

• their debugger is much nicer than STM32CubeIDE,
• BUT keil licenses are very expensive and you could only code up to 32kb with the trial version (unless you find a nefarious workaround)
• As @Markus GIRDLAND​ said keil is just a second party IDE.

STM32CubeIDE:

• ST supports it
• is completely free no 32kb limit
• its blue
• merges perfectly with cubeMx

[Cartu38 OpenDev]

@Tonypan​  See too: which is best IDE for STM32.

@Javier Muñoz​ please could you comment "Keil debugger is much nicer than STM32CubeIDE" ?

[Tonypan]

😁😁 maybe STM32CubeIDE will be a fine choice for me. Although I am not familiar with STM32CubeIDE.

[Tesla DeLorean]

When things work it might well be a fantastic debugger, but my read of the forum issues suggest things are more fragile than professional tools.

Perhaps because IAR and Keil makes a business of it they thoroughly test things and their customers have higher expectations?

If I were ST I'd focus on making/delivering chips

[Javier1]

>please could you comment "Keil debugger is much nicer than STM32CubeIDE" ?

I was a bit vage.

When i use the stm32Ide debugger gui i kind of miss the sharp feel the keil debugger has, it just works every time and fast.

I miss the real time plotting of the registers and variables (stmStudio or STmcubemonitor can be used for this)

The simulation feature was also nice sometimes.

Also when you click the debugger in keil you dont need to wait 20 seconds watching how you workspace screen deconstruts like an old transformwer's decepticon.

But the STM32CubeIde has come a long way since i first started using it so im optimistic about it.