OpenSSL vs Mbed TLS

Developers should learn and use OpenSSL when implementing secure communication in applications, such as web servers, email clients, or IoT devices, to handle certificate generation, management, and encryption tasks meets developers should learn mbed tls when building secure applications for embedded systems, iot devices, or any environment with limited resources, as it offers a lightweight alternative to larger libraries like openssl. Here's our take.

OpenSSL

Nice Pick

Developers should learn and use OpenSSL when implementing secure communication in applications, such as web servers, email clients, or IoT devices, to handle certificate generation, management, and encryption tasks

Pros

• It is essential for scenarios involving HTTPS setup, VPN configurations, or any system requiring cryptographic integrity and authentication, as it offers a reliable, industry-standard solution with extensive community support and cross-platform compatibility
• Related to: tls, ssl-certificates

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Mbed TLS

Developers should learn Mbed TLS when building secure applications for embedded systems, IoT devices, or any environment with limited resources, as it offers a lightweight alternative to larger libraries like OpenSSL

Pros

• It is essential for implementing TLS/SSL encryption, authentication, and data integrity in scenarios such as secure firmware updates, IoT device-to-cloud communication, and industrial control systems where performance and footprint are critical
• Related to: c-programming, embedded-systems

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. OpenSSL is a tool while Mbed TLS is a library. We picked OpenSSL based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

OpenSSL wins

Based on overall popularity. OpenSSL is more widely used, but Mbed TLS excels in its own space.