Guides / MCU prices: JLCPCB, DigiKey, Mouser · Data from 21 October 2026
Microcontroller prices at JLCPCB, DigiKey and Mouser
The microcontroller is often the most expensive part on a small board, and the price for the same chip can differ by a third between distributors. We looked up popular MCUs and modules at 100 pieces on 21 October 2026.
The numbers
Unit price at 100 pieces, with stock in brackets. "No offer" means our lookup returned no listing that day.
| Part | JLCPCB / LCSC | DigiKey | Mouser |
|---|---|---|---|
ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N8R8 module | $3.6588 (5,577) | $4.7741, 0 stock | $4.73 (2,616) |
STM32G030F6P6 | $1.0006 (2,192) | $1.4216 (70,621) | $1.07, 0 stock |
ATMEGA328P-AU | $1.7788 (43,723) | $2.20 (17,213) | $2.20 (6,372) |
RP2040 | $0.7799 (45,577) | no offer | no offer |
RP2350A | $1.1297 (6,031) | no offer | no offer |
ESP32-C3-MINI-1-N4 module | no offer | $2.4502 (2,711) | 0 stock |
What the numbers say
- JLCPCB/LCSC was the cheapest wherever all three listed the part: the ESP32-S3 module was 23% below Mouser, the STM32G030 30% below DigiKey and the ATmega328P 19% below both US distributors.
- DigiKey and Mouser often have the same price. The ATmega328P was $2.20 at both, with identical price breaks.
- Stock depth is different. DigiKey had 70,621 STM32G030s against 2,192 at JLCPCB. For a few hundred boards that does not matter; for a production run it does.
- Odd price breaks are tray sizes. DigiKey's STM32G030 price drops at 74, 148 and 518 pieces: whole trays.
Assembly fees change the comparison
If JLCPCB assembles the board, every one of these is an extended part with a $3 setup fee, except the ATmega328P, which is a preferred part with no fee. On a 10-board run that fee adds $0.30 per board, which is still less than the gap to DigiKey or Mouser for the ESP32-S3. Parts you buy elsewhere and send in, or that JLCPCB sources for you, have their own handling costs.
Two caveats on this data
- Missing offers are not always real. DigiKey and Mouser normally sell the RP2040, but our lookup returned no offer for it that day. Treat "no offer" as missing data, not as "not sold there".
- The ESP32-C3-MINI-1-N4 is marked "not recommended for new designs". It was still in stock at DigiKey, but a new design should use its successor; see how to replace obsolete parts.
Stock that comes and goes
Our daily snapshots show how stable each listing is. Over the last 120 days the RP2350A went out of stock at JLCPCB four times, and the STM32G030 six times (its JLCPCB stock changed 35 times). The RP2040 and ATmega328P barely moved. If you are building more than a handful, check the stock on the day you order, not the day you design.
Prices are list prices in USD from 21 October 2026, without shipping, taxes or tariffs. For a whole-BOM view, see our Mouser vs DigiKey comparison on a 48-line BOM.
Related
- Mouser vs DigiKey: price comparison on a real 48-line BOM
- How much JLCPCB extended part fees really cost: a 48-line BOM example
- JLCPCB basic parts: which resistor and capacitor values have no extended fee
- 3.3 V LDO at JLCPCB: when the extended part is cheaper than the basic one
- DigiKey and Mouser minimum order quantities: how a $0.001 resistor ends up costing $15
- How to replace an obsolete or out-of-stock part in your BOM: four real examples
- How to find an equivalent electronic component: AO3400, SS34, LM358 and NE555 examples
- Octopart alternatives: other ways to compare electronic part prices and stock
- CH340 vs CP2102N vs FT232RL: USB-to-UART chip prices and stock in 2026
- STM32F103C8T6 alternatives: GD32, CH32 and APM32 prices compared
- ESP32 module prices: ESP32-S3, C3, C6 and WROOM-32E at JLCPCB, DigiKey and Mouser
- What is Claude Duet? Anthropic’s proactive AI agent: features, price and availability
- Claude Duet connectors and MCP: how to add your own tools to Duet
- Claude Duet for hardware teams: BOM stock and price alerts every day
- Claude Duet vs Meta Muse vs OpenAI dots vs Grok Bot: personal AI agents compared
- Meta Muse AI agent: what it does, what it costs, and Muse for Small Business
- OpenAI dots explained: ChatGPT’s always-on agents, price, Custom Rules and limits
- Grok Bot: xAI’s always-on AI agents, MCP support, pricing and limits
- Personal AI agents in 2026: Claude Duet, Muse, dots, Grok Bot, Hark Pro, Instinct and Fo
- Can an AI agent order electronic parts for you? Claude Duet, Grok Bot, Claude Code and others
- DigiKey MCP server
- Mouser MCP server
- JLCPCB and LCSC parts MCP server
About the data
The numbers in this article come from Next Everything, an MCP server we build that lets AI assistants such as Claude, Cursor and Codex check a BOM against the JLCPCB/LCSC catalog and live Mouser and DigiKey prices. If you want to run the same check on your own BOM, the setup guides show how to connect it.
Next Everything is not affiliated with Mouser, DigiKey, JLCPCB or LCSC. Prices are list prices in USD at the time stated and change daily.