USA Firmware vs Rigado: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Rigado (4.3/5) edges ahead of USA Firmware (4.2/5) overall. Rigado is the better choice for commercial IoT deployments needing pre-certified BLE modules and firmware. USA Firmware is the stronger option for hardware startups needing firmware, FPGA, and Linux from one small team. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
USA Firmware vs Rigado: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | USA Firmware | Rigado |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 | 2010 |
| HQ | Brecksville, Ohio, USA | Portland and Salem, Oregon, USA (also London, UK and Shenzhen, China) |
| Team size | 17 | 12–17 |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Managed design services blending electrical engineering, firmware, FPGA, and embedded Linux for connected-product companies | Pre-certified low-power wireless modules paired with edge computing and firmware for large-scale commercial IoT rollouts |
| Pricing model | Managed design engagements across discovery, design, prototyping, and production enablement | Product and firmware engagements, plus module and hardware sales |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | Embedded C/C++, FPGA design, Embedded Linux | BLE, 802.15.4, Edge computing platforms |
| Industries served | Consumer electronics, Commercial products, Healthcare devices | Retail IoT, Smart buildings, Asset tracking |
USA Firmware vs Rigado: overview
USA Firmware
USA Firmware was founded in 2011 by CEO Bob Scaccia and is based in Brecksville, Ohio, with roughly 17 employees across North America and Asia. The firm's managed design services combine electrical engineering, firmware, FPGA design, and embedded Linux for consumer, commercial, and healthcare product companies, and it appeared on Inc. magazine's Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private US companies. Its small team size keeps engagements senior-led, though it also caps the number of large programs it can run in parallel.
Rigado
Rigado was founded in 2010 by Justin Rigling and Ben Corrado and is headquartered in Portland and Salem, Oregon, with additional offices in London and Shenzhen; employee counts are reported between roughly 12 and 17 people depending on the source. The firm provides pre-certified low-power wireless modules alongside gateways, firmware, and an edge computing platform for commercial and industrial IoT deployments such as asset tracking and smart buildings. Its small team size focused on Bluetooth Low Energy and edge connectivity makes it a narrower specialist than the larger, broader-scope firms on this list.
Services and capabilities: USA Firmware vs Rigado
| Capability | USA Firmware | Rigado |
|---|---|---|
| RTOS firmware development | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bare-metal & driver development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Secure boot / OTA firmware updates | ✗ | ✗ |
| MCU & platform migration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Connectivity & IoT protocols | ✓ | ✓ |
| Functional safety / MISRA compliance | ✗ | ✗ |
| Embedded AI / on-device inference | ✗ | ✗ |
| Firmware GUI development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Staff augmentation | ✗ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: USA Firmware vs Rigado
| Framework / platform | USA Firmware | Rigado |
|---|---|---|
| FreeRTOS | N/A | N/A |
| Zephyr | N/A | N/A |
| STM32 | N/A | N/A |
| ARM Cortex-M | N/A | N/A |
| BLE | N/A | ✓ |
| Embedded Linux | ✓ | N/A |
| Secure OTA | N/A | N/A |
| PCB | N/A | N/A |
| AWS IoT | N/A | N/A |
| RISC-V | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: USA Firmware vs Rigado
| Criterion | USA Firmware | Rigado |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Fixed project | Fixed project |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: USA Firmware vs Rigado
| Dimension | USA Firmware | Rigado |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Consumer electronics, Commercial products, Healthcare devices | Retail IoT, Smart buildings, Asset tracking |
| Best use cases | Connected consumer product needing firmware and electrical engineering from one small team, FPGA-based design requiring integration with embedded Linux firmware | Large-scale commercial IoT deployment needing pre-certified BLE modules, Smart building or asset-tracking program requiring an edge computing platform alongside firmware |
| Typical project type | Fixed project | Fixed project |
USA Firmware vs Rigado: pros and cons
| USA Firmware | |
|---|---|
| + | Named on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private US companies, a verifiable third-party growth signal |
| + | Covers electrical engineering, firmware, FPGA design, and embedded Linux under one managed process |
| + | Small team of about 17 keeps engagements senior-led throughout |
| - | A team of roughly 17 caps how many large programs can run in parallel |
| - | Limited public case-study detail beyond the company's own site |
| Rigado | |
|---|---|
| + | Pre-certified BLE and low-power wireless modules can shorten time to certification for a new IoT product |
| + | Offices spanning Oregon, London, and Shenzhen give reach across major IoT manufacturing and deployment regions |
| + | Edge computing platform plus firmware and modules covers the full connectivity stack for large rollouts |
| - | Team size in the low teens limits capacity for large, multi-workstream programs |
| - | Narrow specialization in BLE and edge connectivity is a weaker fit for RTOS-heavy or bare-metal firmware projects outside that scope |
Who should choose USA Firmware?
A typical fit: connected consumer product needing firmware and electrical engineering from one small team.
Managed design services blending electrical engineering, firmware, FPGA, and embedded Linux for connected-product companies. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Consumer electronics, Commercial products, Healthcare devices.
Who should choose Rigado?
A typical fit: large-scale commercial IoT deployment needing pre-certified BLE modules.
Pre-certified low-power wireless modules paired with edge computing and firmware for large-scale commercial IoT rollouts. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Retail IoT, Smart buildings, Asset tracking.
Decision matrix: USA Firmware vs Rigado
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | USA Firmware |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | Check each company's engagement model |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: USA Firmware (Not published) vs Rigado (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | USA Firmware |
| You need staff augmentation or team extension | Neither; consider alternatives that offer staff aug |
| You need consulting before committing to a build | Both may offer discovery engagements |
Use case fit: USA Firmware vs Rigado
| Use case | USA Firmware fit | Rigado fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connected consumer product needing firmware and electrical engineering from one small team | Strong | Limited | USA Firmware |
| FPGA-based design requiring integration with embedded Linux firmware | Strong | Limited | USA Firmware |
| Large-scale commercial IoT deployment needing pre-certified BLE modules | Limited | Strong | Rigado |
| Smart building or asset-tracking program requiring an edge computing platform alongside firmware | Limited | Strong | Rigado |
| Fixed-price build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Staff augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: USA Firmware vs Rigado
Rigado (4.3/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Firmware Development projects. Pre-certified low-power wireless modules paired with edge computing and firmware for large-scale commercial IoT rollouts.
USA Firmware (4.2/5) is worth a look if you need FPGA-based design requiring integration with embedded Linux firmware. If your situation matches that, USA Firmware is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
USA Firmware vs Rigado FAQ
Is USA Firmware better than Rigado?
Rigado (4.3/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. USA Firmware's strongest advantage: named on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private US companies, a verifiable third-party growth signal. Rigado's strongest advantage: pre-certified BLE and low-power wireless modules can shorten time to certification for a new IoT product.
How do USA Firmware and Rigado differ in pricing?
USA Firmware uses managed design engagements across discovery, design, prototyping, and production enablement pricing. Rigado uses product and firmware engagements, plus module and hardware sales pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: USA Firmware or Rigado?
Rigado is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each company before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between USA Firmware and Rigado?
USA Firmware's primary differentiator is: managed design services blending electrical engineering, firmware, FPGA, and embedded Linux for connected-product companies. Rigado's primary differentiator is: pre-certified low-power wireless modules paired with edge computing and firmware for large-scale commercial IoT rollouts. They also differ in team size (17 vs 12–17), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Consumer electronics, Commercial products vs Retail IoT, Smart buildings).
Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.