Comparison at a glance
| M5Burner | esptool | ESP Web Tools | Flash Download Tool | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developer | M5Stack | Espressif | ESPHome project | Espressif |
| Interface | GUI (desktop + web) | Command line | Browser button | Windows GUI |
| Firmware source | Built-in catalogue | Your .bin files | Project manifest | Your .bin files |
| Platforms | Win/macOS/Linux x64, Chrome/Edge | Any OS with Python | Chrome/Edge | Windows |
| Licence | Free (proprietary) | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 | Free (proprietary) |
| M5Stack account features | Yes | No | No | No |
When M5Burner is the right choice
- You use M5Stack hardware and want official UIFlow or factory firmware.
- You want to browse community firmware without hunting for files.
- You need UIFlow2 device binding or Share Codes.
- You prefer a graphical tool to the command line.
When esptool is better
esptool is Espressif's official open-source Python tool and the engine behind many flashers. It installs with pip install esptool. Use it when you need to:
- Flash your own
.binfiles at specific addresses. - Back up (read) a board's flash before experimenting.
- Script flashing for many boards or in CI pipelines.
- Recover a board when graphical tools can't connect.
When ESP Web Tools fits
ESP Web Tools is an open-source component that projects embed on their websites to offer one-click installs in Chrome or Edge. If a firmware project you like provides a web installer, it's an easy route, but it only installs that project's firmware.
Espressif Flash Download Tool
A Windows-only GUI from Espressif for flashing images at chosen addresses, often used in factories. It's powerful but less friendly than M5Burner, and it has no catalogue or account features.
Combining tools
Many makers use more than one: M5Burner or WebBurner for daily switching, esptool for backups and recovery. A practical routine is to back up the flash with esptool before trying unfamiliar firmware, then use M5Burner to restore official firmware when you're done.
A safe backup routine with esptool
- Install esptool with
pip install esptool. - Put the board in download mode and note its port.
- Read the whole flash to a file, using the flash size of your board, for example
esptool --port COM5 read_flash 0 0x800000 backup.binfor 8 MB. - Keep
backup.binwith a note of the device and date. - Flash new firmware with M5Burner. If you want the old state back, write the backup with esptool's
write_flash 0 backup.bin.
Looking ahead
With the M5Burner desktop app reportedly ending service on January 1, 2027, the M5Stack-specific workflow is moving to the browser. esptool remains the best fallback when you need a fully offline or scriptable method.
Get M5Burner v3.0
Official package for Windows, macOS and Linux x64, downloaded from M5Stack.
