Top 8 Raspberry Pi alternatives and rivals

By Jean-Jacques DeLisle, contributing writer

The growing market for single-board computers for hobbyists and tinkerers has spawned a wide range of options other than just the popular Raspberry Pi 3. Image source: raspberrypistarterkits.com.

For a single-board computer originally targeting education, the Raspberry Pi family certainly has a large and diverse following. This is a big boon for what is now commonly a project and tinkering system, as the large community of enthusiasts has generated tons of troubleshooting solutions and fun project tutorials. However, Raspberry Pi isn’t always the best solution for every tinkering, project, or design challenge. Here are some of the top alternatives to consider.

The buzz around low-cost single board computers has led to the release of many competitive and alternative systems. These other systems don’t quite have the community support that Raspberry Pi does, but their other tradeoffs may be particularly useful for certain applications and projects. It’s worth taking a look at some of the most significant options that might be a better fit for project needs.

Orange Pi Project Board

Very comparable to the Raspberry Pi 3, from price to performance and specs, the Orange Pi is a direct Pi 3 competitor. The main differences are that the Orange Pi has slightly higher hardware specs, a SATA port, Gigabit Ethernet, a built-in mic, and an IR communications port. The slightly better performance comes from the Allwinner Quad-core H5 Cortex-A53 CPU, which can run Android, Ubuntu, Debian, and other Linux distributions. Adding to the benefit pile, the Orange Pi also has 16 GB of internal storage, 4K video capability, and 1 GB of SDRAM like the Pi 3. The only thing it really lacks is the huge Raspberry Pi community.

Rock64 Media Board Computer from Pine64

The Rock64is designed as a direct competitor to the Raspberry Pi 3 but has a few key differences. The 2-GB version of Rock64 comes in around $35, comparable to the Pi 3. However, the Rock64 uses the 1.5-GHz Rockchip RK3328 quad-core processor, offers twice the RAM of the Pi 3, and has a socket for additional bootable eMMC storage — features that exceed the Pi 3 by some margin. The Rock64 also includes a Gigabit Ethernet port, a USB 3.0 port, and two USB 2.0 ports, and for video output, it has a 4K 60 FPS HDMI output. But all of this extra performance takes power, requiring a +5-V 3-A barrel jack connector and wall-wart for its supply. Those looking for onboard Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, easy micro-USB power, and a huge community may still prefer the Raspberry Pi lines.

Banana Pi Single-Board Computer

Essentially a clone of Raspberry Pi 3, there are few differences with the Banana Pi. The most major differences are the Banana Pi’s separate network chip for less of a computing burden on the main system resources, a SATA port, and onboard microphone and camera ports. Unfortunately, the Bananian OS image specifically for these boards has been discontinued, and a compatible image would have to be loaded for the board to be of long-term use. At a comparable price to the Pi 3, it may be most viable only when there is a specific need for its unique features.

NanoPi NEO Plus2 from FriendlyArm

The NanoPI is a half-sized, but not half-powered, competitor to the Raspberry Pi 3. In its minute package, the Plus2 houses the Allwinner H5 quad-core 64-bit Cortex A53 processor, a Gigabit Ethernet port, onboard Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, 8 GB of onboard eMMC memory, a MicroSD slot, 1 GB of DDR3 RAM, and two USB 2.0 ports. What the Pi has over the Plus2 is an HDMI output and direct audio out. Still, at only $25, the Plus2 is a cost-competitive contender for those not interested in media center features.

ASUS Tinker Board

Overpowering the Raspberry Pi 3 by far, the Rockchip RK3288- and ARM-based MALI-T764 GPU-powered ASUS Tinker Board also offers other attractive features. When the cutting edge is in demand, this single-board computer delivers with Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi support, four USB 2.0 ports, 4K HDMI output port, a 192K/24-bit HD audio port, and CSI MIPI and DSI MIPI connections for a wide range of peripherals. Operating with Debian OS and built in KODI theater software compatibility, this board exceeds the Raspberry Pi 3 in many ways, including with a $60 price tag.

Espressobin

For a bit more than the standard Pi 3 ($50), one could go off the beaten path a bit and leverage the 64-bit Marvell-processor-equipped Espressobin. With a Topaz network switch offering three Ethernet ports and SATA connectors, the Espressobin is certainly a networking geared device. Equipped with a USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 connector, this single-board computer also features a miniPCIe port, though it misses out on any video out ports or onboard Wi-Fi/Bluetooth features. For server, router, or other networking-centric projects, this may certainly be a step up from the Pi 3, though it lacks the features to support much of the native equipment common to single-board computer tinkering.

LattePanda

When the power is needed, and the cash is available, the LattePanda featuring the high-powered Intel “Charry Trail” Z8350 quad-core processor could be the $209 option you were looking for. Natively running Windows 10, the LattePanda has many features, from full-HD-ready operation, 3D gesture control, 3D real-time modeling, smart car functions, and more. Moreover, the LattePanda has an Arduino-powered co-processor, which opens many doors for a Swiss-Army-knife-style tinkering and hacking project board. Also, cheaper models are available with less RAM and built-in storage.

ODROID-XU4 Single-Board Computer

The ODROID-XU4 is a few times more powerful than the Pi 3 with its 2-GHz A15 quad-core processor at about twice the price ($68). It features 2-GB LPDDR3 RAM, a USB 3.0 connector, an eMMC 5.0 port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and other offerings similar to the Raspberry Pi 3. The OS support is community-driven, with Ubuntu 15.04, OpenGL ES, OpenCL, and Android 4.4.5 and 5.1 on Kernel LTS 3.10 already supported. If you need more power than a Pi 3, this is a viable alternative.

This list is far from comprehensive, however. Several of the SBCs listed here also offer several variations on their themes with different features and form factors. And there are always more alternatives and competitors to the Raspberry Pi appearing on the market. So if you’re looking to start a project and the Raspberry Pi is almost, but not quite, what you need, just look around. You may find the perfect match.