Is CODESYS Development System free?

CODESYS Development System can be used without paying: Free-marked version in the CODESYS Store; full licenses need a dongle. Check the vendor’s pricing page for current limits.

Is CODESYS Development System open source?

No. CODESYS Development System is proprietary software; its source code is not public.

Which platforms does CODESYS Development System support?

CODESYS Development System is available on: Windows.

What is CODESYS Development System best for?

Multi-vendor IEC 61131-3 controller projects. In our ranking of PLC programming software it is number 1 of 6 with a score of 92.5.

What are the best alternatives to CODESYS Development System?

The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are TwinCAT 3, Beremiz, OpenPLC Editor, LOGO! Soft Comfort.

CODESYS Development System Review and Alternatives (2026)

92.5score

Ranked 1 of 6 in best PLC programming software

All five IEC 61131-3 editors and object-oriented programming in one Windows development system, with a runtime set up on each target device. Full licenses use a hardware dongle.

Best for Multi-vendor IEC 61131-3 controller projects

About CODESYS Development System

CODESYS Development System creates IEC 61131-3 controller applications with FBD, LD, IL, ST and SFC editors and object-oriented programming in one tool. The CODESYS Store marks some packages as free of charge, and demo and time licenses run with a key.

The development system is installed on Windows PCs. A CODESYS runtime is then set up on each target device that runs the program. Full and time licenses are protected by a hardware dongle, and the store's license terms apply to the software. CODESYS suits projects that need one development environment across several hardware targets. Check the license terms and the dongle requirement before purchase.

Key features

IEC 61131-3 editors
Object-oriented programming
Free-marked version
Hardware dongle licensing
Runtime on target devices

Strengths

All IEC 61131-3 editors in one development system
Object-oriented programming in the IEC editors
Runtime set up on each target device

Limits

Full licenses are tied to a hardware dongle
Development system runs on Windows PCs

Where CODESYS Development System ranks

List	Rank	Score	Best for
Best PLC programming software	1 of 6	92.5	Multi-vendor IEC 61131-3 controller projects

Alternatives to CODESYS Development System

All 5 alternatives

Compare CODESYS Development System

Questions about CODESYS Development System

Is CODESYS Development System free?: CODESYS Development System can be used without paying: Free-marked version in the CODESYS Store; full licenses need a dongle. Check the vendor’s pricing page for current limits.
Is CODESYS Development System open source?: No. CODESYS Development System is proprietary software; its source code is not public.
Which platforms does CODESYS Development System support?: CODESYS Development System is available on: Windows.
What is CODESYS Development System best for?: Multi-vendor IEC 61131-3 controller projects. In our ranking of PLC programming software it is number 1 of 6 with a score of 92.5.
What are the best alternatives to CODESYS Development System?: The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are TwinCAT 3, Beremiz, OpenPLC Editor, LOGO! Soft Comfort.