The ESP-12F is a shielded breakout board with a PCB antenna. The CH340G USB TTL adapter chip enables simple communications and flashing capability over USB.
Pros:
- It's cheaper than the ESP32
- Works fine for the majority of simple DIY IoT projects
- Support is excellent
Cons:
- Doesn't have as much functionalities as the ESP32 does
- Has some limitations when it comes to the GPIO mapping
- Wi-Fi speed is not that fast