ESP32-WROOM-32E vs ESP32-S3-WROOM-1: Which Module Should You Use?
2026-10-08 · PartVane Electronics
The ESP32-WROOM-32E and the ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 are Espressif's two mainstream Wi-Fi + Bluetooth modules. Both are 2.4 GHz modules with a dual-core Xtensa CPU at up to 240 MHz, a 40 MHz crystal, Quad SPI flash and an on-board PCB antenna, and both run from 3.0 to 3.6 V. The differences that decide a design are the CPU core, Bluetooth version, USB, GPIO count, PSRAM options and the pinout. Every figure here comes from Espressif's own datasheets: ESP32-WROOM-32E & WROOM-32UE v2.1 and ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 & WROOM-1U v1.8.
Side-by-side specifications
| Parameter | ESP32-WROOM-32E | ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 |
|---|---|---|
| SoC / CPU | ESP32-D0WD-V3 or ESP32-D0WDR2-V3, dual-core Xtensa LX6, up to 240 MHz | ESP32-S3 series, dual-core Xtensa LX7 with single-precision FPU, up to 240 MHz |
| ROM / SRAM | 448 KB ROM, 520 KB SRAM, 16 KB RTC SRAM | 384 KB ROM, 512 KB SRAM, 16 KB RTC SRAM |
| Flash | 4, 8 or 16 MB Quad SPI | 4, 8 or 16 MB Quad SPI |
| PSRAM | None, or 2 MB Quad SPI (R2 variants) | None, 2 MB Quad SPI (R2), 8 MB Octal SPI (R8) or 16 MB Octal SPI (N16R16VA) |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n, up to 150 Mbps | 802.11b/g/n, up to 150 Mbps |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth v4.2 BR/EDR and Bluetooth LE | Bluetooth LE: Bluetooth 5, Bluetooth mesh |
| GPIOs | Up to 26 (5 strapping) | 36 (4 strapping) |
| USB | Not listed | Full-speed USB 2.0 OTG and USB Serial/JTAG controller |
| Module pins | 38 | 41 |
| Size (PCB antenna) | 18.0 x 25.5 x 3.1 mm | 18.0 x 25.5 x 3.1 mm |
| Ambient temperature | -40 to 85 °C; -40 to 105 °C for H4/H8 | -40 to 85 °C; -40 to 105 °C for H4; -40 to 65 °C for R8 and R16V |
Where the ESP32-WROOM-32E still wins
- Bluetooth Classic. The WROOM-32E supports Bluetooth v4.2 BR/EDR as well as LE, and its datasheet lists CVSD and SBC. The S3 datasheet lists Bluetooth LE only. If the product streams audio over Classic Bluetooth or talks to legacy SPP devices, stay on the ESP32.
- DAC. The WROOM-32E pin table maps DAC_1 and DAC_2 to GPIO25 and GPIO26. A DAC is not in the S3 module's peripheral list.
- Existing designs. A proven WROOM-32E layout and firmware carry no migration work.
Where the ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 wins
- Native USB. The S3 has a full-speed USB 2.0 OTG interface and a USB Serial/JTAG controller, and it supports USB download boot. That can remove the external USB-to-UART bridge, such as a CP2102 or CH340G, used for programming and logging.
- More I/O. 36 GPIOs against up to 26, plus LCD and camera interfaces in the peripheral list.
- Memory headroom. Octal SPI PSRAM of 8 MB or 16 MB suits display buffers and audio or ML workloads. Note the R8 and R16V variants are rated only to 65 °C ambient. Espressif says enabling PSRAM ECC raises that to 85 °C but reduces usable PSRAM by 1/16.
- AI workloads. Espressif positions the S3 modules for wake-word detection, speech commands and face recognition, using the SoC's acceleration for neural network and signal processing.
Can you swap one for the other?
No, not as a drop-in. The outline is the same 18.0 x 25.5 mm, but the WROOM-32E has 38 pins and the S3-WROOM-1 has 41, with a different pin assignment and different strapping pins. Moving to the S3 means a new footprint, a pin-by-pin review and a firmware rebuild for the ESP32-S3 target. In both modules the external supply must deliver at least 0.5 A.
Quick selection guide
- Bluetooth Classic audio or SPP, DAC output, or an existing layout: ESP32-WROOM-32E.
- New design needing native USB, more GPIO, large PSRAM, camera or LCD: ESP32-S3-WROOM-1.
- Metal enclosure or remote antenna: the U versions (ESP32-WROOM-32UE, ESP32-S3-WROOM-1U) use an external antenna connector.
- 105 °C ambient: the H4 variants of either module (H8 too on the WROOM-32E).
Sourcing
Building with either module? Send an RFQ with the exact ordering code (for example N8 or N16R8), quantity and delivery date, and we will reply with available options for the ESP32-WROOM-32E and ESP32-S3-WROOM-1.
Sources
- https://www.espressif.com/documentation/esp32-wroom-32e_esp32-wroom-32ue_datasheet_en.pdf
- https://www.espressif.com/documentation/esp32-s3-wroom-1_wroom-1u_datasheet_en.pdf
Parts in This Article
- ESP32-WROOM-32E datasheet, pinout & specs – Espressif Systems
- ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 datasheet, pinout & specs – Espressif Systems
- CP2102-GMR datasheet, pinout & specs – Silicon Labs
- CH340G datasheet, pinout & specs – WCH (Nanjing Qinheng Microelectronics)