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An open source real-time operating system (RTOS) for IoT and embedded devices, from microcontrollers up to richer application processors.

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What is it?

RT-Thread is an open source, community-based real-time operating system written mainly in C. It provides a real-time kernel with threads and scheduling, semaphores, mailboxes, message queues, memory management and timers, along with components such as a virtual file system, a FinSH command-line shell and network frameworks.

The project offers a Nano version that fits in about 3 KB of Flash and 1.2 KB of RAM for small microcontrollers, and a Standard version for larger IoT devices. A software package manager and configuration tools let developers add ready-made modules. The repository includes board support packages for nearly 200 development boards and porting code for ARM Cortex-M/A/R, MIPS, RISC-V and other architectures.

Projects can be built with GCC, Keil MDK or IAR, and developers can configure and generate projects with the Env TUI tool or the RT-Thread Studio IDE. A QEMU simulator setup allows running the system without hardware.

Key features

  • 01Real-time kernel with threads, semaphores, message queues, memory management and timers.
  • 02Nano version for microcontrollers with as little as 3 KB Flash and 1.2 KB RAM.
  • 03Software package ecosystem with 450+ packages and online package management.
  • 04POSIX, CMSIS and C++ interfaces for portability.
  • 05Broad architecture and board support, including ARM, MIPS and RISC-V.
  • 06Works with GCC, Keil MDK and IAR toolchains.

Use cases

  • Firmware for resource-constrained IoT sensors and controllers.
  • Smart home or industrial devices that need multithreading and networking on an MCU.
  • Prototyping embedded applications on QEMU before hardware is available.
  • Porting an RTOS to a new chip or board using the existing BSP structure.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Read the programming guide and pick a supported board or the QEMU simulator

  2. 2

    Follow the QEMU getting-started guide for your OS (Windows, Ubuntu, or macOS)

  3. 3

    Build and download the BSP for your development board with RT-Thread Studio, Env, or Keil/IAR/GCC

Things to know

  • Targets embedded hardware, so getting started usually requires a development board or the QEMU setup.

In collections

Embedded systems & microcontroller projects

Topics

#rtos#embedded-systems#iot#microcontroller#real-time#arm#risc-v#aiot#cortex-a#cortex-m

FAQ

What is rt-thread?
An open source real-time operating system (RTOS) for IoT and embedded devices, from microcontrollers up to richer application processors. RT-Thread is an open source, community-based real-time operating system written mainly in C. It provides a real-time kernel with threads and scheduling, semaphores, mailboxes, message queues, memory management and timers, along with components such as a virtual file system, a FinSH command-line shell and network frameworks.
Is rt-thread free to use? What license does it have?
rt-thread is open source under the Apache-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is rt-thread still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to rt-thread was on Nov 6, 2026.
What can I use rt-thread for?
Firmware for resource-constrained IoT sensors and controllers. Smart home or industrial devices that need multithreading and networking on an MCU. Prototyping embedded applications on QEMU before hardware is available. Porting an RTOS to a new chip or board using the existing BSP structure.
How do I install rt-thread?
Read the programming guide and pick a supported board or the QEMU simulator Follow the QEMU getting-started guide for your OS (Windows, Ubuntu, or macOS) Build and download the BSP for your development board with RT-Thread Studio, Env, or Keil/IAR/GCC
Where can I get rt-thread?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/RT-Thread/rt-thread

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