List of the Top 3 Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) for Golioth in 2025

Created through a partnership with leading chip manufacturers over a period of 15 years, FreeRTOS is currently downloaded roughly every 170 seconds and is recognized as a premier real-time operating system (RTOS) designed specifically for microcontrollers and small microprocessors. It is freely accessible under the MIT open source license and features a core kernel along with a growing suite of IoT libraries that serve various sectors. Emphasizing reliability and ease of use, FreeRTOS has garnered a reputation for its robust performance, lightweight design, and broad compatibility with numerous devices, making it the preferred choice for microcontroller and small microprocessor solutions among major global companies. Users benefit from a variety of pre-configured demos and IoT reference integrations, which facilitate straightforward project setups, thus allowing for rapid downloading, compiling, and quicker market entry. This efficient approach not only streamlines development but also supports faster innovation cycles. Additionally, the ecosystem of partners provides a wide array of options, bridging community-driven initiatives with professional support, ensuring users have the vital resources necessary for their success. As the landscape of technology evolves, FreeRTOS is dedicated to continually adapting and enhancing its features to address the shifting needs of the industry, proving its resilience and relevance in a dynamic environment. Moreover, its ongoing commitment to innovation positions it as a key player in the future of real-time operating systems.

The MQX real-time operating system (RTOS) offers outstanding real-time performance while ensuring a small and adaptable footprint. This operating system is perfectly integrated with NXP's 32-bit MCUs and MPUs and includes vital device drivers that are frequently used in embedded systems. With its modern, component-based microkernel design, the MQX RTOS enables developers to customize features, dimensions, and efficiency by selectively incorporating components, thus meeting the rigorous memory constraints common in embedded environments. Impressively, it can operate with as little as 8 KB of ROM and 2.5 KB of RAM on the Arm Cortex M4, which accommodates the kernel, two task applications, a lightweight semaphore, the interrupt stack, queues, and the memory manager. This setup guarantees that a complete RTOS core is present while still providing optional services as required. By connecting components only when necessary, the system effectively prevents needless memory waste from functions that are not utilized. Additionally, essential components are available in both standard and lightweight variations, which enhances flexibility in terms of size, memory consumption, and performance options, making it an excellent choice for a wide range of applications. Furthermore, the adaptability of the MQX RTOS makes it suitable for projects with varying demands and constraints, allowing engineers to optimize their designs for specific needs.

This system encompasses a wide array of devices, from fundamental embedded environmental sensors and LED wearables to sophisticated embedded controllers, smartwatches, and IoT wireless applications, featuring a configurable architecture that includes stack-overflow protection, permission tracking for kernel objects and device drivers, and enhanced thread isolation through thread-level memory protection across various architectures such as x86, ARC, and ARM, along with distinct userspace and memory domains. Additionally, for systems that do not have a Memory Management Unit (MMU) or Memory Protection Unit (MPU) and those constrained by limited memory, it facilitates the combination of application-specific code with a customized kernel to create a monolithic image that can be seamlessly loaded and executed on the hardware. Within this framework, both the application and kernel code function within a single address space, promoting efficient resource management and performance enhancements. Consequently, this architecture is adept at enabling even the most resource-limited environments to effectively utilize advanced applications and sophisticated functionalities, thereby broadening the scope of what can be achieved in embedded systems.