Reply by: EmbeddedSystems_Eng
I agree ESP32 is superior choice. It has dual core processor so you can run wifi communication on one core and your main logic on another core. This prevents wifi operations from blocking your sensor readings. Also ESP32 deep sleep mode is very power efficient for battery powered projects. Learning curve is minimal if you already know Arduino.

Reply by: MakerSpace_Mentor
ESP32 is way better for IoT projects compared to Arduino with wifi shield. ESP32 has built-in wifi and bluetooth, more processing power, more memory, and costs less than Arduino + wifi shield combo. Programming is almost same as Arduino - you can use Arduino IDE with ESP32 board support. Only difference is some pin numbers and wifi library usage. Plenty of tutorials available online.

I am planning an IoT project that needs wifi connectivity. Should I use ESP32 or Arduino with wifi shield? I have experience with Arduino Uno but never used ESP32. Is it difficult to learn ESP32 programming?