wolfSSL vs. MBEDTLS vs. OpenSSL - What is the difference?

Question

I am researching different SSL/TLS library for embedded devices.

I would like to know what people think the pros and cons for each of these libraries would be, and if there are specific use cases for any of these libraries.

Answer 1

To start out, all three libraries will accomplish the same things, just one might be better served for your use case. All three are open source, will run on embedded systems and, with the exception of Mbed TLS, support TLS 1.3.

OpenSSL

• Supports TLS 1.3
• Runs on higher-end embedded systems but has a much larger codebase and was not designed with embedded systems in mind. Some porting may be required depending on the platform.

Mbed TLS

• Does not support TLS 1.3
• Has good documentation and is more intuitive than OpenSSL.
• Easy to understand and use API.

wolfSSL

• Supports TLS 1.3
• Intended for embedded systems so the codebase is much smaller.
• Great documentation with prebuilt examples for various platforms.
• Most up to date project with constant updates and security fixes.