Top 20 Cheapest Raspberry PI alternatives

Here is a list of the 20 Cheapest Raspberry PI alternatives single-board computers that can be used as alternatives to Raspberry Pi:

1. Orange Pi Zero

The Orange Pi Zero is a small, inexpensive single-board computer that can be used as a low-cost alternative to Raspberry Pi. The price of the Orange Pi Zero depends on the specific model and retailer, but it typically ranges from around $10 to $20.

Orange Pi Zero Specs:

The latest model of the Orange Pi Zero is the Orange Pi Zero 2, which was released in 2020. Here are the specs for the Orange Pi Zero 2:

• Processor: Allwinner H6 quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU (up to 1.8 GHz)
• Memory: 512 MB DDR3 RAM
• Storage: MicroSD card slot (up to 256 GB)
• Connectivity: Ethernet port, WiFi, Bluetooth
• Ports: HDMI, USB 2.0, USB OTG, audio jack, camera interface
• Dimensions: 48 mm x 46 mm
• Operating temperature: -20°C to 70°C

The Orange Pi Zero 2 is similar to Raspberry Pi in terms of hardware and capabilities, but it has a lower price point and a smaller form factor. It is well suited for use in small projects that require a low-cost, low-power single-board computer.

Orange Pi Zero Price: $24

2. NanoPi Neo

The FriendlyARM NanoPI NEO single-board computer has 256 MB of RAM. It has an Allwinner H3 system with 4 Coretex-A7 cores installed. The maximum frequency that each core may run at is 1.2 GHz.

3. Banana Pi M2 Zero

The Banana Pi M2 Zero is a single-board computer that is incredibly small, measuring only 65mm*30mm. It will suit practically all cases and accessories for the Raspberry Pi Zero W and has identical external connections. It has 512MB of RAM and a quad-core Cortex A7 Allwinner H3 processor. It is perfect for applications that require small, lightweight systems. Both the Linux and Android operating systems are supported, just like other Banana Pi family members.

Banana Pi M2 Zero Specs:

• CPU: H2+ Quad-core Cortex-A7
• GPU: Mali 400 MP2
• Memory: 512MB DDR3.
• Storage: MicroSD slot
• USB Ports: 1 x USB 2.0 OTG
• GPIO: GPIO (x28), Power (+5V, +3.3V and GND), UART, I2C, SPI or PWM
• Power Input: 5 volts @2A via Micro USB Port.
• Video Output: Mini HDMI
• Audio Output: Mini HDMI
• Network: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
• Size: 65mm × 30mm, 15g
• OS: Android, Linux.

Banana Pi M2 Zero Price: $29.99

4. Rock Pi S

Radxa's ROCK Pi S is a Single Board Computer (SBC) built on the Rockchip RK3308 processor. The 1.7-inch device is equipped with a 64-bit quad-core processor, USB, ethernet, wireless connectivity, and a voice detection engine, making it ideal for IoT and voice applications.

Rock Pi S Specs:

• Processor: SoC RK3308 Quad Cortex-A35 ARM 64bits processor @ up to1.3GHz
• RAM: 256MB or 512MB DDR3
• Storage: MicroSD(TF), optional onboard 1/2/4/8Gb NAND flash
• Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n wifi
• Bluetooth: 4.0(rtl8723DS)
• USB: USB2.0 Type-A HOST x1, USB3.0 Type-C OTG x1
• Ethernet: 100MB ethernet, optional PoE(additional HAT required)
• IO: 26-pin expansion header, I2C x4, PWM x3, SPI x2, UART x3, I2S0 x1, 5V x2, 3.3V x2
• Power: USB Type-C DC 5V
• Size: 1.7inch square (10x8cm)

Rock Pi S Price: $78

5. ODROID-C4

The ODROID-C4 is a next-generation single-board computer that performs quicker and uses less energy than the ODROID-C2 (which was released more than four years ago as the first widely accessible ARM 64-bit computer).

ODROID-C4 Specs:

• Dimensions: 85mm x 56mm x 1mm
• Weight: 59 grams (including heat sink)
• Processor: Amlogic S905X3 12nm, 2 GHz ARM Cortex-A55
• Graphics: Mali-G31 MP2 @ 650 MHz
• RAM: 4GB DDR4
• Storage: eMMC (8GB to 64GB) and/or MicroSD card (up to UHS-I)
• Networking: Gigabit Ethernet
• Video: HDMI 2.0 (up to 4K@60Hz with HDR, CEC, EDID)
• Audio: HDMI and optional SPDIF
• USB: 4 x USB 3.0 + 1 micro USB 2.0
• Other I/O: 40-pin header + 7-pin audio expansion header + IR receiver
• Power: DC jack (12V/2A power adapters recommended)

ODROID-C4 Price: $61.99

6. Raspberry Pi Zero

The smallest form factor Raspberry Pi available is the ultra-compact and ultra-slim Raspberry Pi Zero. Even though it is 40% quicker than the first Raspberry Pi, it is still much smaller—65mm long, 30mm broad, and 5mm thick. The 40-pin GPIO is unpopulated on the Raspberry Pi Zero, allowing you to use only the connections your project requires and saving you space.

Raspberry Pi Zero Specs:

• RAM: 512MB
• Wireless: (Pi Zero W only) 802.11n / Bluetooth 4.1 / LE
• Ports: Micro USB, mini HDMI
• I/O: 40 GPIO Pins, CSI camera connector (not on version 1.2)
• Size: 2.6 x 1.2 x 0.2 inches (66.0mm x 30.5mm x 5.0mm)
• Weight: 0.31 ounces (9 grams)
• Processor: BCM 2835 SOC

Raspberry Pi Zero Price: $69

7. NanoPi M1

For enthusiasts, manufacturers, and fans of electronics, FriendlyARM created and launched the Allwinner H3-based ARM board known as the NanoPi M1. Only a third of the Raspberry Pi's size, it. It is freely available. It is compatible with Debian, Ubuntu MATE, and other operating systems.

NanoPi M1 Specs:

• CPU: Allwinner H3, Quad-core [email protected]
• DDR3 RAM:512MB/1GB
• Connectivity: 10/100M Ethernet
• Audio: 3.5mm audio jack/Via HDMI
• Microphone: Onboard microphone
• USB Host： Type A, USB 2.0 x 3
• MicroSD Slot x 1
• Video Output: HDMI 1.4 1080P, CVBS
• DVP Camera Interface: 24pin, 0.5mm pitch FPC seat
• Debug Serial Port: 4Pin, 2.54mm pitch pin header
• User Key: Power LED x 1, Reset x 1
• PC Size: 64 x 50mm
• Power Supply: DC 5V/2A

NanoPi M1 Price: $38

8. Pine64

Pine64 is a hardware and software platform that is open source. It is a flexible single-board computer that can run Linux and the most modern 64-bit Android versions. The startup wants to offer the world's most cheap 64-Bit computer system.

Pine64 Specs:

• Processor: 64-bit Quad Core ARM A53, 1.2GHZ Speed
• GPU: Dual Core Mali 400-MP2
• RAM: 512 MB DDR3 SDRAM
• Storage: Via Micro SD slot, expandable up to 256 GB storage
• Ports: 2 USB, HDMI (4K – 3840 X 2160)
• Network: 10/100 MB
• Sound: 3.5 mm stereo Output mini-jack with microphone support
• Power: Built-in 3.7 V Lithium battery charging circuit

Pine64 Price: $36

9. Cubieboard

Cubieboard is a miniature computer development board that is affordable, hacker-friendly, tiny (10x6cm), and based on the Allwinner A10 SoC. It performs better than the Raspberry Pi, supports SATA, and has a 96-extended interface.

Cubieboardc specs

• Memory: 1GB DDR3 @960M
• Video output: HDMI 1080p Output
• Network: 10/100M Ethernet
• System on a chip: Allwinner A10
• CPU: 1Ghz ARM Cortex A8
• GPU: Mali400
• RAM: 512MB/1GB
• Architecture: armhf

Cubieboardc Price: $60

10. Banana Pi M2

The open-source hardware platform known as Banana PI M2 is a quad-core variant of the Banana Pi that is superior in every way to the Banana Pi M1 and has built-in WiFi.

Banana Pi M2 Specs:

• CPU: ARM Quad-core Cortex-A7 1.2 GHz
• GPU: Mali400 MP2
• Storage: SD card
• RAM: 512 MB DDR3 SDRAM
• Connectivity: WiFi b/g/n, BT 4.0 with BLE (Ethernet capable)
• Serial interfaces: CSI camera interface (1080p 30 fps)
• Ports: 1 USB OTG (micro USB), 1 DC in (micro USB), Debug TLL UART, mini HDMI, 40 pins (28 GPIO)
• Power: 5 V, 2 A (DC in, micro USB)
• Dimensions and weight: 65 x 30 mm, 15 g

Banana Pi M2 Price: $46

11. ODROID-C1

The quad-core, 1.5GHz Cortex A5 ODROID-C1 development board has 1GB of RAM. Kali Linux can be installed on an eMMC module or an external microSD card. Since the underlying hardware of the ODROID-C0 and ODROID-C1+ is essentially the same but the peripherals differ, we may use the same image for all 3 devices.

ODROID-C1 Specs:

• Processor: Amlogic S805 SoC ARM® Cortex®-A5 (ARMv7) 1.5GHz Quad Core ARMv7 architecture @28nm wafer
• Memory: 1Gbyte DDR3 RAM 792Mhz
• 3D Accelerator: ARM® Mali™-450 MP2 OpenGL ES 2.0 / 1.1
• Video Output: HDMI
• Audio Output: HDMI
• Camera Input: USB 720p(option)
• Real-Time Clock: On-board RTC function with a backup battery connector
• IO Expansion: 40pins

ODROID-C1 Price: $35

12. ODROID-XU4

A new generation of computing devices, the ODROID-XU4, features more potent, energy-efficient circuitry and a more compact form factor. The board supports open source and can run a variety of Linux distributions, including the most recent Ubuntu 20.04, as well as Android 4.4 KitKat, 5.0 Lollipop, and 7.1 Nougat.

ODROID-XU4 Specs:

• Processor: Samsung Exynos5422 ARM® Cortex™-A15 Quad 2.0GHz/Cortex™-A7 Quad 1.4GHz
• Memory: 2Gbyte LPDDR3 RAM PoP (750Mhz, 12GB/s memory bandwidth, 2x32bit bus)
• Audio: HDMI Digital audio output. Optional USB sound card
• Display: HDMI 1.4a with a Type-A connector
• Size: 83 x 58 x 20 mm (weight: 38 grams) without cooler approx.

ODROID-XU4 Price: $53

13. ODROID-C2

One of the most affordable 64-bit development boards for ARM platforms, the ODROID-C2 is a quad-core 64-bit single-board computer (SBC). It can serve as a set-top box for home theatre, a general-purpose computer for web surfing, gaming, and socializing, a portable workstation for software development, a prototyping tool for hardware tinkering, a controller for home automation, and much more.

ODROID-C2 Specs:

• CPU: Amlogic S905 SoC 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 1.5GHz 64bit ARMv8 Architecture @28nm
• GPU: 3 x ARM Mali-450 MP 700MHz
• RAM: 2GB 32bit DDR3 912MHz
• Flash Storage: Micro-SD UHS-1 @83Mhz/SDR50 or eMMC5.0 storage option

ODROID-C2 Price: $46

14. ODROID-N2

A new generation single board computer called ODROID-N2 is quicker, more reliable, and more potent than N1. The big. Little architecture used by the N2's main CPU includes a quad-core ARM Cortex-A73 CPU cluster, a dual-core Cortex-A53 cluster, and a new Mali-G52 GPU.

ODROID-N2 Specs:

• Amlogic S922X (4x Cortex-A73, 1.8GHz, 2x Cortex-A53, 1.9GHz); 12nm fab & Mali-G52 GPU with 6x 846MHz EEs
• 4GB or 2GB DDR4 32-bit RAM (1320MHz, 2640MT/s)
• eMMC socket that also offers optional 8GB to 128GB
• 4 USB 3.0 host ports with 340MB/sec speed typically
• UHS-1 SDR104 supportive MicroSD slot
• Petitboot app and 8MB SPI flash with boot select switch
• Realtek RTL8211F: Gigabit Ethernet port, 1Gb/sec
• Fan connector and Integrated interface for serial console

ODROID-N2 Price: $66

15. Arduino Nano

Based on the ATmega328, the Arduino Nano is a compact, comprehensive, and breadboard-friendly board (Arduino Nano 3. x). It comes in a different packaging but has roughly the same capabilities as the Arduino Duemilanove. It only lacks a DC power jack and uses a Mini-B USB cable rather than a conventional one to operate.

Arduino Nano Specs:

• Microcontroller ATmega328
• Operating Voltage (logic level): 5 V
• Input Voltage (recommended): 7-12 V
• Input Voltage (limits): 6-20 V
• Digital I/O Pins: 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output)
• Analog Input Pins: 8
• DC Current per I/O Pin: 40 mA
• Flash Memory 32 KB (ATmega328) of which 2 KB is used by the bootloader
• SRAM: 2 KB (ATmega328)
• EEPROM: 1 KB (ATmega328)
• Clock Speed: 16 MHz
• Dimensions: 0.73″ x 1.70″

Arduino Nano Price: $24

16. Rock Pi X

Radxa's first X86 SBC (Single Board Computer) is the ROCK Pi X. Linux and Windows distributions can both run on it. The Radxa team began developing the ROCK Pi X after receiving numerous user inquiries about whether the ROCK Pi 4 can run Windows.

Rock Pi X Specs:

• Processor: 64bits Quad Core X86 Processor
• Memory: 64bit dual-channel 4GB LPDDR3@1866Mb/s
• Storage: High-performance 64GB eMMC module
• Display: HDMI 2.0 up to 4k@30
• Size: 85mm x 54mm
• Others: RTC battery connector for time backup (optional)

Rock Pi X Price: $49

17. Particle Photon

A robust STM32 ARM Cortex M3 microcontroller serves as the Particle Photon's brain, and a Broadcom BCM43362 Wi-Fi chip serves as the device's internet interface. Giving connectivity to your project is simple thanks to the 18 mixed GPIO pins and a web-based IDE identical to the Arduino IDE.

Particle Photon Specs:

• Processor: STM32F205 120Mhz ARM Cortex M3
• Memory: 1MB flash, 128KB RAM
• On-board RGB status LED.
• 18 Mixed-signal GPIO and advanced peripherals
• Open source design
• Real-time operating system (Free RTOS)
• Soft AP setup
• On-board Wi-Fi module
• Broadcom BCM43362 Wi-Fi chip
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

Particle Photon Price: $19

18. Onion Omega2

Applications that require drop-in connectivity and computing are catered to by the Onion Omega2 Linux Compute Modules. There is a WiFi radio, RAM, flash storage, and a CPU in the 42.926.49.9 mm box. It is a compact but effective IoT device solution that is FCC certified and runs the Linux operating system.

Onion Omega2 Specs:

• Processor: 580MHz MIPS CPU
• Memory: 64MB Memory
• Storage: 16MB Storage
• USB USB: 2.0
• MicroSD: Slot No
• WiFi: adapter b/g/n Wi-Fi
• GPIOs:15

Onion Omega2 Price: $5

19. LinkIt One

An open-source, high-performance board called LinkIt ONE is used to prototype wearables and Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets. The GSM, GPRS, Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth functions that are already built-in are likely the most alluring feature. It comes with a Li-ion battery as well.

LinkIt One Specs:

• Chipset: MT2502A (Aster, ARM7 EJ-S (TM) )
• Dimensions: 3.3×2.1 inches
• Flash: 16MB
• RAM: 4MB
• DC: Current Per I/O Pin 1mA
• Analog Pins: 3
• Digital Output: 3.3V
• Analog Input: 5V
• GPRS: Class 12
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth: BR/EDR/BLE(Dual Mode)

LinkIt One Price: $59

20. Intel Galileo

A 32-bit Intel Pentium class system on a chip called the Intel Quark SoC X1000 Application Processor powers the Intel Galileo microcontroller board. It is the first board based on an Intel architecture made to be pin-compatible with Arduino Shields made for the UNO R3 in both hardware and software.

Intel Galileo Specs:

• Model: Intel Quark SoC X1000
• Speed: 400 MHz
• SRAM: 512 KB on-die, embedded; 800 MT/s
• Firmware: 8 MB NOR Flash
• DRAM: 256 MB DDR3
• USB: Compatible with any USB 2.0 storage device
• Dimensions: 123.8mm (L) x 72.0mm (W)

Intel Galileo Price: $40

It's important to note that these are just a few examples of the many cheap single-board computers that are available. Prices for these and other options may vary based on the specific model and retailer. It's a good idea to do your own research to find the best options for your budget and needs.