L298N vs L293D: choosing a motor driver

Current, voltage drop and size - which driver suits which robot.

Both are dual H-bridge drivers that let a microcontroller run two DC motors in both directions with speed control using PWM.

The L293D is a small 16-pin chip handling roughly 600 mA per channel. It suits tiny motors and compact builds. The L298N module can supply about 2 A per channel and accepts a higher motor voltage, which makes it better for TT and BO gear motors in robot cars, but it wastes some voltage as heat and is physically larger.

As a rule: tiny toy motors and tight spaces, choose the L293D; robot cars with standard gear motors, choose the L298N module. For heavier motors look at MOSFET-based drivers.