Every robotics build hits the same wall: the Arduino can blink an LED, but it cannot drive a motor directly. You need a motor driver — a small board that takes a low-power logic signal from the microcontroller and switches a higher-power supply to the motor.
The good news: most useful hobby motor drivers cost under twenty dollars. The bad news: there are about thirty different chips, and the wrong one will either melt or refuse to turn the motor. These six are the ones we hand to customers walking in with a robotics kit.
How to pick
Match the driver to the motor first. Brushed DC motors at hobby scale — the L298N or TB6612FNG. Tiny battery-powered DC motors — the DRV8833. Big brushed motors over 10 A — the BTS7960. Stepper motors — A4988 for cheap and cheerful, DRV8825 for a little more torque, TMC2209 (not in this list) for silent operation.
1. L298N Dual H-Bridge Motor Driver (5-pack)
The classroom workhorse. Two channels, drives two brushed DC motors or one stepper, tolerant of being abused by a first-time wiring job.
Best for: Best for first robotics builds, Arduino-driven tank chassis, and anyone learning H-bridge logic for the first time.
Watch out for: Wastes about 2 V across the bridge. Run it on at least a 9 V battery if you want full motor speed. Heatsink it for sustained use.
2. TB6612FNG Dual Motor Driver Breakout (Adafruit)
Modern MOSFET-based dual driver. Higher efficiency, much less voltage drop than the L298N, fits a breadboard cleanly.
Best for: Best for battery-powered builds where you want every volt to reach the motor.
Watch out for: Lower current rating than the L298N — about 1.2 A per channel continuous. Sized for small DC motors, not gearmotors.
3. DRV8833 Dual Motor Driver Carrier (Pololu)
Tiny dual-channel driver designed for low-voltage robotics — 2.7 V to 10.8 V supply range.
Best for: Best for line followers, small swarm bots, and anything battery-powered at the LiPo or AA scale.
Watch out for: Surface-mount tiny — solder the header carefully or buy the pre-soldered version.
4. BTS7960 43 A High-Current Motor Driver
When the small drivers are not enough. Up to 43 A continuous for big brushed motors on robot wagons, lawn projects, and small EV builds.
Best for: Best for high-current single-motor builds — think wheelchair motors, electric skateboards, or robot mowers.
Watch out for: Needs a real heatsink and a power supply that can actually deliver. Will not survive a continuous stall if you skip the thermal protection.
5. A4988 Stepper Motor Driver (5-pack)
The default for NEMA 17 steppers in 3D printers and CNC routers. Microstepping down to 1/16, current limit pot on the board.
Best for: Best for printer rebuilds, CNC kits, and anyone learning stepper microstepping.
Watch out for: Audible whine at low microstepping. Move to DRV8825 or TMC2209 if quietness matters.
6. DRV8825 Stepper Driver (5-pack)
A drop-in upgrade for A4988 sockets. Higher current per phase and 1/32 microstepping.
Best for: Best for stepper builds that need more torque per phase without jumping to TMC drivers.
Watch out for: Pin compatible with A4988 but the enable logic and microstepping pins shift — re-check the data sheet before swapping.
Wiring notes that save smoke
Always share grounds between the motor supply and the microcontroller — a floating ground is the most common source of "it works on the bench, melts in the robot" failures. Bypass-cap the motor supply with at least a 100 µF electrolytic across the H-bridge VIN. Read the current limit before you trust a driver under load.
FAQ
Can I use the L298N to drive a stepper motor?
Yes, for slow demos. For real performance use a dedicated stepper driver like the A4988 or DRV8825.
Why is my motor turning slowly even with the battery charged?
The L298N drops about 2 V across the bridge. Run it on 9 V or higher, or switch to the more efficient TB6612FNG.
Do I need a heatsink?
For continuous use over a few hundred milliamps, yes. The L298N and BTS7960 both ship with mounting holes for one.
What about ESC-style drivers for brushless motors?
Different topic. ESCs use three-phase PWM and a different control protocol; we cover those separately.
Are these safe for kids in a classroom?
At the voltages here (under 24 V), the shock risk is minimal. The risk is shorted batteries causing burns — supervise battery handling and use polarity-keyed connectors.
Related WNW guides
Need help speccing parts for a classroom build? Ask us — we sourced robotics kits for several Manitoba programs this year.
If you're planning a low-voltage build — automation in a workshop, a classroom maker corner, a STEM lab — ask us. We help Manitoba customers spec parts, sanity-check wiring choices, and run installation services for the bench, rack, or wall side of a project.