Successfully setting up IoT projects requires the utilization of IoT platforms. IoT platforms monitor and manage various aspects of an IoT system, including data flow to and from IoT devices. Choosing a platform for an IoT project is of utmost importance. It is a difficult decision to make as hundreds of platforms are available. With this paper, we aim to highlight two free IoT platforms that are simple to use, Blynk IoT and ESP Rainmaker. We compare these platforms using a simple LED blinking system using the ESP32 microcontroller. The ESP32 is popular due to its active developer community and Arduino support. The Blynk IoT platform has the advantage of maturity, while the ESP Rainmaker platform is native to the ESP32. Both platforms are free for developers. We compare various parameters of the platforms, such as performance, ease of implementation, and more. When blinking the LEDs, we observed that the Blynk IoT application was faster in communicating with the ESP32 by two seconds. Also, Blynk IoT’s no-code approach makes for an easily customizable dashboard. The ESP Rainmaker platform also has advantages, like the ESP32 firmware sets up the dashboard by itself. The Rainmaker app makes it easy to connect the ESP32 to WiFi networks. Based on our tests and experience, we conclude that choosing between the platforms depends on one’s goals and capabilities. We recommend Blynk to absolute newcomers to IoT and programming. ESP Rainmaker is better for experienced programmers who want to explore every feature of the ESP32.