Best Cheap Raspberry Pi Alternatives we found online 2024
In this digital age, there’s very little that a computer can’t do. Whether it’s facilitating work and study, or making art and music, or playing games and watching movies, and everything in between, today’s computers are capable of so many things. For those who want to learn how computers work, and explore those capabilities, you have everything you need in a Raspberry Pi.
Raspberry Pi is hands-down the most popular single board computer, or SBC, that you can buy. With over 30 million units sold worldwide for a variety of uses and applications, Raspberry Pi stands at the top when it comes to versatile, low-cost single board computers, and it’s now even more accessible to just about anyone thanks to the availability of online partners and dealers.
If you want to get your hands on your very own Raspberry Pi computer, or any of its popular alternatives, make sure you check out Stutu Store on AliExpress for the best deals on the latest products.
What Is Raspberry Pi?
Raspberry Pi is basically a personal computer that’s about the size of a credit card. It has and is capable of everything you need in a desktop computer, and connects to a standard keyboard, mouse, and monitor, so it can do pretty much anything. From word processing to playing games, to watching high-definition video, Raspberry Pi computers are powerful and versatile, and because of their low cost and high performance, they’re one of the top choices for exploring computing capabilities and learning how to program.
So, if you’re asking what a Raspberry Pi is, the most likely answer is: anything you want it to be. And that might be a little vague, but it’s definitely accurate. A Raspberry Pi can be programmed to be a portable personal computer, a media center or home theatre PC, a gaming console, a web server, a security system, a weather station, a 3D printer - literally anything you and come up with as long as you can back it up with some programming skills, which should be easy enough to learn thanks to the extensive documentation available.
Best Raspberry Pi Alternatives
While Raspberry Pi is the undisputed king of the Single Board Computer industry, it’s not the only contender. Other brands and manufacturers also offer a wide variety of options for those with more specific needs. Whether you’re particular about your choice of hardware, or need something to better suit your budget, there are lots of Raspberry Pi alternatives that you can choose from.
#1 - Nvidia Jetson Nano
A more powerful alternative to the Raspberry Pi, the Nvidia Jetson Nano houses an Nvidia Maxwell GPU, making it ideal for graphics intensive processing for all kinds of applications.
The Nvidia Jetson Nano is the best SBC to come from Nvidia, and while it’s graphics processing capabilities are a tad more powerful than the Raspberry Pi 4, it’s not as well rounded, and therefore not as versatile. That said, the Nvidia Jetson Nano is still a very, very capable machine with a 64-bit quad-core ARM-based processor - the Cortex A57 - and 2GB/4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. With a total of 4 USB 3.0 ports and 1 USB 2.0 Micro-B port, it does have more USB interfaces than the Raspberry Pi 4, but instead of getting 2 Micro-HDMI ports capable of 4K@60fps, you’re only getting an HDMI 2.0 and an eDP 1.4.
Although it doesn’t seem like much of a difference, the Nvidia Jetson Nano sticks to its strengths and overwhelms just about everything else with sheer graphics processing power. The Nvidia Maxwell GPU that comes with the Jetson Nano has 128 CUDA cores, and is capable of significantly better graphics processing and performance, making it ideal for working with all kinds of image inputs and outputs.
Technical Specifications
CPU: Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A57 64-bit @ 1.42 Ghz
GPU: Nvidia Maxwell (128 CUDA cores) @ 921Mhz
Memory: 2GB/4GB LPDDR4
Networking: Gigabit Ethernet/M.2 Key E
Interface: 4 x USB 3.0, USB 2.0 Micro-B, HDMI 2.0, eDP 1.4
Storage: MicroSD
#2 - Khadas VIM3
The greatest thing about the Raspberry Pi 4 is its versatility. As a single board computer, being able to do anything and everything is what makes Raspberry Pi so popular, especially for education. However, if you’re looking to buy a single board computer for a more specific purpose, or a more defined intent, then there are alternatives that offer something just a little bit better. One of those alternatives is the Khadas VIM3, the best option for building your very own Home Theater PC.
Built from the ground up to cater to the needs of home theater enthusiasts, the Khadas VIM3 is a powerful computer that comes with everything you need for a smart home theater system. It comes with Android 9.0 Pie built-in, so you’ll have everything you need right off the bat to turn your computer into an Android-based theater system. Its Amlogic S905D3 processor is a tiny thing, but is capable of running 4K at 60fps. With 2GB of LPDDR4 RAM, it should have enough for all but the most demanding tasks, as well as 16GBs of high-speed eMMC flash storage. It supports Bluetooth 5.0 and Gigabit LAN, and comes with interfaces for USB Type-C, USB 2.0, and HDMI.
Technical Specifications
CPU: Amlogic 2905D3 Quad-Core
GPU: ARM Mali-G52 MP4
Memory: 2GB/4GB LPDDR4
Networking: Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.0
Interface: 4 x USB 3.0, USB 2.0 Micro-B, HDMI 2.0, eDP 1.4
Storage: 16GB/32GB eMMC Flash; MicroSD
#3 - BBC Micro:Bit
You can’t have a list of Raspberry Pi alternatives without the BBC Micro:Bit. The successor the BBC Micro - a small single board computer from all the way back in the 1980s, which gave the UK youth their introduction to computing and programming - the Micro:Bit is one of the most prevalent SBCs used in education. If you’re looking for a cheap, effective SBC to help you learn, experiment, and build your own basic projects as you go, the Micro:Bit is an excellent alternative to Raspberry Pi.
The Micro:Bit isn’t as robust as the Raspberry Pi, so you won’t be able to do as much, but if you’re trying to learn the foundations of programming and computing, the Micro:Bit performs just fine. It comes with the Nordic nRF51822-QFAA-R processor, which is a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0 processor used effectively in most microcontrollers, and can connect to devices wirelessly via Bluetooth 4.1.
Technical Specifications
CPU: Nordic nRF51822-QFAA-R 32-bit
GPU: N/A
Memory: 16KB RAM
Networking: Bluetooth 4.1
Interface: USB Micro, General Purpose I/O
Storage: 256KB Flash ROM
#4 - Arduino Mega 2560
Arduino, one of Raspberry Pi’s closest competitors, also offers modern single board computers for a variety of applications, particularly in education. Indeed, most schools teach programming with either Raspberry Pi or Arduino hardware, so if you’re looking for an alternative, the Arduino Mega 2560 won’t disappoint.
However, despite their similarities and their shared roots, the Arduino Mega 2560 and the Raspberry Pi are very different pieces of hardware that are used to solve different problems. While the Raspberry Pi focuses on providing everything you would need out of a desktop computer, the Arduino Mega 2560 is a system of microcontrollers, making it a very versatile device that can be used for a wide variety of very specific functions.
If you need a powerful, robust system to handle computing tasks for your project, the Raspberry Pi might be better for the job. However, if you need something specific for your project or prototype - something that a microcontroller would excel at, like controlling a certain function or other moving parts - then the Arduino 2560 Mega will get the job done, and then some. It’s powered by the ATmega2560 microchip running at 16Mhz, and is equipped with a variety of ports and input/output pins, including analog inputs, UARTs, and USB. There’s also a power jack and a reset button to keep things nice and user-friendly.
Technical Specifications
CPU: ATmega2560 16MHz
GPU: N/A
Interface: 54 x Digital I/O Pins, 16 x Analog Inputs, 4 x UART Hardware Serial Ports, USB
Storage: 256KB Flash ROM, MicroSD
#5 - PocketBeagle
If you want a Raspberry Pi alternative that you can take with you just about anywhere, then the PocketBeagle from Beagle Bone is the one to get. It’s one of the smallest SBCs you can get your hands on today - it’s only 56mm long and 35mm wide - and while it doesn’t pack as much of a punch as the Raspberry Pi and its variants, it’s still one of the top-performing SBCs on the market.
Powered by the Octavo Systems OSD3358 CPU at 1GHz, which is based on the ARM Cortex A8, this tiny single-board computer is capable of all kinds of tasks and projects. Paired with 512GB of DDR3 RAM, it’s a pretty capable device that features excellent plug-and-play usage that adds both convenience and ease-of-use. It also comes with a MicroSD slot for storage, and a MicroUSB port for compatible interfacing.
Technical Specifications
CPU: Octavo Systems OSD335x SiP
GPU: PowerVR SGX530
Memory: 512MB RAM
Interface: MicroUSB
Storage: MicroSD
How Do I Choose An SBC For My Project?
There are a lot of factors to consider when you need a single board computer for any project. Without getting too technical, the most important thing to consider is the hardware specifications. If you have a project in mind, you’ll have to figure out exactly what kind of hardware you need to accomplish it, and that’ll take more in-depth research. However, if you’re looking for single board computers to be used for a wide variety of applications with no clear project in mind, then go for the most versatile items in the list above.
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In 2012 a single board computer released onto the market that would change the way we see single board computing and that computer is the Raspberry Pi.
Raspberry Pi is a small little single-board computer that allows people to do things such as develop software, watch movies, mine cryptocurrency, and there are many things for you to discover. You’re probably thinking that your smartphone can do all that, but then smartphone probably costs a lot more than US$35.
Check out Raspberry Pi Alternatives here.
Original element14 Raspberry pi 3
Similarities among the two versions
The English as well as Chinese version has 1.2 GHz quad core processor with 64 bit with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options. The connectivity is quick without the need of any external devices. The motherboard comes with Chip antenna, Micro USB connector having 2.5A of power supply. Buyers get 1GB LPDDR2 memory, dual core multimedia processor and it supports Windows 10, Linux and all other.
Difference between Raspberry Pi made in UK vs. made in China?
The English version of the Raspberry Pi3 is marketed as the original one but we don’t know whether there is any difference between it and the cheaper Chinese version. One of the obvious things is that the original English one is made in UK and advertised as same. Also the motherboard is designed to be fully automatic so there is hardly any different in the machine. The components used for the English version are quite similar to those used in the cheaper Chinese version.
So is there any difference?
Well there is hardly any difference among the two. It’s just the motherboard’s memory that is different i.e. one is of Hynix while the other is of Micron. The Chinese version is bit cheaper than the English version. Apart from it, be it design wise, look wise and function wise, both the version are identical. Only their place of origin/ manufacturing factory is different.
Which one should one prefer?
As there is hardly any difference in both the versions, users can go with any of them. The Chinese version is cheaper and gives the same functionality. Also the English version might Overclock and gets hotter as compared to the Chinese version. So if you not wish to overclock your Raspberry Pi3 motherboard, you should go with the cheaper version i.e. Chinese version. Yes it might be possible that the Chinese version is cheaper so the components may not be of the same quality even though the components used are same. But that is just an assumption it might not be true.
So based on the detail analysis, one can sum up to Raspberry Chinese and English version as same just their origin is different.
Check out this store on Aliexpress that sells both the Made in UK and the Made in China versions of Raspberry Pi
Stutu Store
English version: $37.35
Chinese version: $37.16
Uses of Raspberry Pi
#1 - Desktop Computer
You can simply use it as a desktop now what I recommend is when you first get your Raspberry Pi install raspbian rezian is the most basic version of a desktop that you can have on the Raspberry Pi running directly from it. As a matter of fact raspbian was built for Raspberry Pi as a Linux distribution that works light and fast so what can you do with the raspbian desktop well anything that you can do with a regular computer you can run their own version of an audio player you can watch videos you can even play some games that run on Python.
#2 - Raspberry Pi as a Chromecast Alternative
It can play your YouTube videos or any sort of songs you can listen to on sound cloud it's all based on a small plugin that you can find on the Chrome Web Store called raspberry cast.
#3 - Raspberry Pi as an Android Alternative
You can install a version of Android TV onto your Raspberry Pi it runs well but it still needs a little bit of tweaking now although it's still in its beginning stages and still in a beta format.
#4 - Raspberry Pi as a Media Streaming
You can run the Kodi software off of the Raspberry Pi now Cody runs really well on the Raspberry Pi for many different reasons and for many uses as well if you can build a dedicated Raspberry Pi as your home theater.
#5 - Raspberry Pi for Emulators
It is easy to set up - just load them up into a USB stick plug it into your Raspberry Pi and that's big it'll automatically load onto your retropie now from this point on all you have to do is play your games.
You can start to build yourself an arcade cabinet and put retro ply on your Raspberry Pi and play it hands down!
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