Guides / STM32F103 alternatives · Data from 22 October 2026
STM32F103C8T6 alternatives: GD32, CH32 and APM32
The STM32F103C8T6, the chip on the "Blue Pill", has several pin-compatible alternatives from Chinese manufacturers. They were created when STM32s were hard to get. In October 2026 the original is easy to buy again, so is a clone still worth it? We looked up all of them on 22 October 2026.
The numbers
Unit prices at 100 pieces at JLCPCB/LCSC, with stock in brackets. JLCPCB's price breaks for these parts are at 30 and 250 pieces, so 100 pieces are priced at the 30-piece break.
| Part | Core | Clock | Flash | Supply | Price at 100 | JLCPCB fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
STM32F103C8T6 (ST) | Cortex-M3 | 72 MHz | 64 KB | 2 to 3.6 V | $1.161 (232,833) | none (preferred) |
GD32F103C8T6 (GigaDevice) | Cortex-M3 | 108 MHz | 64 KB | 2.6 to 3.6 V | $1.1969 (9,679) | $3 |
APM32F103CBT6 (Geehy) | Cortex-M3 | 96 MHz | 128 KB | 2 to 3.6 V | $0.9222 (1,650) | $3 |
CH32F103C8T6 (WCH) | Cortex-M3 | 72 MHz | 64 KB | 2.7 to 5.5 V | $0.8846 (4,414) | $3 |
CH32V203C8T6 (WCH) | RISC-V | 144 MHz | 64 KB | 3.3 V | $0.6492 (10,378) | $3 |
The same STM32F103C8T6 was $4.29 at Mouser (13,351 in stock) and $5.3956 at DigiKey (7,218) at 100 pieces. Our DigiKey and Mouser lookups returned no offers for the alternatives.
What it costs per build at JLCPCB
| Part | 10 boards | 100 boards |
|---|---|---|
| STM32F103C8T6 | $13.02 | $116.10 |
| GD32F103C8T6 | $16.52 | $122.69 |
| APM32F103CBT6 | $13.73 | $95.22 |
| CH32F103C8T6 | $12.91 | $91.46 |
| CH32V203C8T6 | $10.26 | $67.92 |
Parts plus the $3 extended fee where it applies, using JLCPCB's 10-piece and 30-piece price breaks.
What the numbers say
- At JLCPCB the original is no longer expensive. The STM32F103C8T6 is a preferred part with no fee, and it costs less than the GD32 even before the GD32's fee.
- At DigiKey and Mouser the original costs 3.7 to 4.6 times the JLCPCB price. If you buy from a US distributor, the price question is really about where you buy, not which chip.
- The real savings are the WCH parts, and the biggest one, the CH32V203, is not an ARM chip.
- Stock is thinner for every alternative. The CH32F103 and CH32V203 each went out of stock at JLCPCB once in the last 120 days, and the APM32 had 1,650 left.
Pin-compatible is not code-compatible
All five come in LQFP-48 with the same positions for power, reset, BOOT0, the oscillator, USB (PA11/PA12 on pins 32 and 33) and SWD (PA13/PA14 on pins 34 and 37), so a board laid out for one takes the others. The firmware side differs:
- GD32F103, APM32F103, CH32F103: Cortex-M3 with registers modelled on the STM32F103. Much STM32 code runs as is, but clock setup, flash wait states and some peripherals differ. Use the vendor's own libraries and migration notes, and test the peripherals you use.
- CH32V203: a RISC-V core. It needs WCH's toolchain and a WCH-LinkE programmer instead of an ST-Link, and STM32 binaries will not run on it. A port, not a swap.
Which one to pick
- JLCPCB assembly, any quantity: the STM32F103C8T6 itself. No fee, deep stock, every tool and library supports it.
- Buying from DigiKey or Mouser: compare the original against buying it from LCSC before switching chips.
- Cost-driven product, firmware not written yet: the CH32V203 costs about 44% less per chip at 100 pieces and has a faster core. Budget time for the different toolchain.
- Need more flash on the same footprint: the APM32F103CBT6 has 128 KB, if its stock covers your build.
Prices and stock are from 22 October 2026 and change daily. For other microcontrollers, see microcontroller prices at JLCPCB, DigiKey and Mouser.
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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.