The autopilot stack the industry builds on.
---
## About
PX4 is an open-source autopilot stack for drones and unmanned vehicles. It supports multirotors, fixed-wing, VTOL, rovers, and many more experimental platforms from racing quads to industrial survey aircraft. It runs on [NuttX](https://nuttx.apache.org/), Linux, and macOS. Licensed under [BSD 3-Clause](LICENSE).
## Why PX4
**Modular architecture.** PX4 is built around [uORB](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/middleware/uorb.html), a [DDS](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/middleware/uxrce_dds.html)-compatible publish/subscribe middleware. Modules are fully parallelized and thread safe. You can build custom configurations and trim what you don't need.
**Wide hardware support.** PX4 runs on a wide range of [autopilot boards](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/flight_controller/) and supports an extensive set of sensors, telemetry radios, and actuators through the [Pixhawk](https://pixhawk.org/) ecosystem.
**Developer friendly.** First-class support for [MAVLink](https://mavlink.io/) and [DDS / ROS 2](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/ros2/) integration. Comprehensive [SITL simulation](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/simulation/), hardware-in-the-loop testing, and [log analysis](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/log/flight_log_analysis.html) tools. An active developer community on [Discord](https://discord.gg/dronecode) and the [weekly dev call](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/contribute/).
**Vendor neutral governance.** PX4 is hosted under the [Dronecode Foundation](https://www.dronecode.org/), part of the Linux Foundation. Business-friendly BSD-3 license. No single vendor controls the roadmap.
## Supported Vehicles
…and many more: helicopters, autogyros, airships, submarines, boats, and other experimental platforms. These frames have basic support but are not part of the regular flight-test program. See the full airframe reference.
## Try PX4
Run PX4 in simulation with a single command. No build tools, no dependencies beyond Docker:
```bash
docker run --rm -it -p 14550:14550/udp px4io/px4-sitl:latest
```
Open [QGroundControl](https://qgroundcontrol.com) and fly. See [PX4 Simulation Quickstart](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/simulation/px4_simulation_quickstart) for more options.
## Build from Source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/PX4/PX4-Autopilot.git --recursive
cd PX4-Autopilot
make px4_sitl
```
> [!NOTE]
> See the [Development Guide](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/development/development.html) for toolchain setup and build options.
## Documentation & Resources
| Resource | Description |
| --- | --- |
| [User Guide](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/) | Build, configure, and fly with PX4 |
| [Developer Guide](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/development/development.html) | Modify the flight stack, add peripherals, port to new hardware |
| [Airframe Reference](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/airframes/airframe_reference.html) | Full list of supported frames |
| [Autopilot Hardware](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/flight_controller/) | Compatible flight controllers |
| [Release Notes](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/releases/) | What's new in each release |
| [Contribution Guide](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/contribute/) | How to contribute to PX4 |
## Community
- **Weekly Dev Call** — open to all developers ([Dronecode calendar](https://www.dronecode.org/calendar/))
- **Discord** — [Join the Dronecode server](https://discord.gg/dronecode)
- **Discussion Forum** — [PX4 Discuss](https://discuss.px4.io/)
- **Maintainers** — see [`MAINTAINERS.md`](MAINTAINERS.md)
- **Contributor Stats** — [LFX Insights](https://insights.lfx.linuxfoundation.org/foundation/dronecode)
## Contributing
We welcome contributions of all kinds — bug reports, documentation, new features, and code reviews. Please read the [Contribution Guide](https://docs.px4.io/main/en/contribute/) to get started.
## Citation
If you use PX4 in academic work, please cite it. BibTeX:
```bibtex
@software{px4_autopilot,
author = {Meier, Lorenz and {The PX4 Contributors}},
title = {{PX4 Autopilot}},
publisher = {Zenodo},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.595432},
url = {https://px4.io}
}
```
The DOI above is a Zenodo concept DOI that always resolves to the latest release. For a version-pinned citation, see the [Zenodo record](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.595432) or our [`CITATION.cff`](CITATION.cff).
## Governance
The PX4 Autopilot project is hosted by the [Dronecode Foundation](https://www.dronecode.org/), a [Linux Foundation](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/) Collaborative Project. Dronecode holds all PX4 trademarks and serves as the project's legal guardian, ensuring vendor-neutral stewardship — no single company owns the name or controls the roadmap. The source code is licensed under the [BSD 3-Clause](LICENSE) license, so you are free to use, modify, and distribute it in your own projects.
