The Best Rivals and Alternatives to the Raspberry Pi 4

The Raspberry Pi is a tiny and inexpensive computer, so it has become a complete success since its launch until today. It is affordable and fits in the palm of your hand so its uses are almost as endless as imagination can be and has been used as a resource to learn programming but also to play retro video game simulators, for home automation or to convert television from Always on a Smart TV. Although it is the most famous, it is not the only one. There are alternatives to Raspberry Pi 4 that are an excellent idea if you are looking for a miniature computer to try all kinds of options with it.

The first designs of the Raspberry Foundation are almost ten years old. It is a microcomputer, a computer the size of a credit card that is capable of performing all kinds of usual tasks with a common computer but is also usually compatible with video playback and is ideal for video games, television …

Raspberry Pi 4

What is a Raspberry?

Its operation is similar to a computer but without the physical buttons that we find to turn on or off. It has everything you need and it is enough to connect different peripherals to be able to handle it, such as a screen or a keyboard or a mouse that will make it work and that you can use it for whatever you want. You can also customize the Raspberry Pi with all types of housings that will make it more protected from dust, shock or easier to transport or handle.

Raspberry Pi 4

The Raspberry Pi 4 was launched in June 2019, being an improved model compared to the first model of 2011 and arriving a year and a half later since the last version. There are three different models with three types of AM memory, including a Broadcom processor, up to three times more efficient than previous models, with 4 Cortex A72 1.5 GHz cores. In addition, the chip is accompanied by three RAM memory options, 1 models , 2 and 4 GB LPDDR4-2400,

Among the novelties, two microHDMI ports are incorporated, USB C is incorporated to connect to the current (instead of the previous microUSB) and allows to handle two 4K screens at 60 Hz at the same time, being able to decode H.265, in 4K 60p , H.264 in 1080p 60p and encode in 1080p 30p. It also improves Bluetooth, with 5.0 connectivity, or we get compatibility with WiFi 5.

Raspberry models have become essential for many technology fans and it is logical if we take into account the amount of possibilities it allows and its reduced price (does not exceed 60 euros in the model with the largest RAM) But it is not the only one and there are alternatives to Raspberry Pi 4 that are also a good idea if you are looking for a microcomputer, whatever use you want to give it. Some work even better, depending on what you are going to ask.

raspberry pi 4 placa

Alternatives to Raspberry Pi 4

ASUS Tinker Board S

The ASUS is one of the best alternatives to the Raspberry Pi 4, with a 40-pin connector to connect any accessory, with a 1.8 GHz Rockchip RK3288 quad-core processor with 2 GB of RAM and with Mali-T764 GPU Able to support 1080p video. It also includes 16 GB of eMMC memory as standard and does not need a microSD to work. It also has a 3.5 mm jack and supports the main operating systems: Retropie, any Linux or Android distribution.

Asus

LePotato

This board is one of the best alternatives to Raspberry Pi, affordable and with the same size and design. It has an Amlogic quad-corex A53 quad-core processor at a frequency of 1.5 GHz and with 1 GB or 2 GB RAM memory options. It has four USB ports, has FastEthernet and has support for Android as an operating system but is also compatible with any version of Linux. LePotato has 4K support with HDMi 2.0 and 40 expansion pins although it does not have WiFi technology or Bluetooth technology.

LePotato


Rock64 Media Board

The Rock64 works with a 4-core Rockchip RK3328 ARM processor with Mali-450 MP3 GPU with 4K video support at 60fps. It has USb 3.0 and GbE ports and is an open source project that allows endless possibilities. It is available in three options of 1 GB, 2 GB or 4 GB RAM memory. It is compatible with operating systems such as Android in versions higher than Android 7.1.

rock64


Rock Pi 4

This board has a 64-bit Hexacore RK3399 processor with Mali T860MP4 GPU and in RAM versions from 1 GB to 4 GB in total. The size of the Rock Pi 4 is similar to that of Raspberry and has an HDMI connection or compatibility to run Android or the main Linux versions. In addition, a model A and a model B and this second model has Power over Etherner (PoE)

RockPi 4 - Alternativas Raspberry Pi 4


Banana Pi M64

The Banana Pi is another recommended option and the M64 model is an improved version, compatible with Android, Ubuntu or Debian. Inside, it works with a 1.2 GHz octa-core processor and a 2 GB RAM or with dual-core Mali 400 GPU. It has a storage of 8 GB that you can expand through microSD and also has three USB host ports, a microUSB and with HDMI, MIPI-DSI and MIPI-CSI connections. It is compatible with support for video playback up to 1080p and is priced less than 60 euros on Amazon.

Mejores alternativas a Raspberry Pi 4 - Banana Pi


Odroid XU4

One of the best alternatives to Raspberry Pi with Samsung Exynos 5422 eight-core CPU accompanied by Mali-T28 MP6 GPU and 2 GB of RAM. It is compatible with different versions of Android and can run several types of Linux, including the latest versions of Ubuntu. It is a powerful board with USB 3.0 and with Gigabit Ethernet interface although it does not have WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity. One of the main advantages we find is that it has striking transfer speeds and is ideal for any field, be it games or navigation.

Odroid - Alternativas Raspberry Pi 4


PocketBeagle

This alternative to Raspberry Pi is almost as qualified as it is thanks to its microSD slot and its microUSB port. It measures 56 x 35 millimeters, approximately the same size as the Raspberry Pi Zer or, and is mounted around an Octavo Systems OSD3358 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor and has a 512 MB DD3 RAM integrated. It is designed so that it can be connected to a laptop as if it were a USB keychain and from there you can program the device using the web browser that gives access to the Linux command line and the text editor. It costs roughly the same as a Raspberry Pi 3, about 37 euros.

Alternativas a Raspberry Pi - Pocket Beagle


Orange Pi Plus2

The Orange Pi Plus2 is an alternative to Raspberry Pi that can operate in Ubuntu, Rpasbian and Android with an Allwinner H3 quad-core 1.6GHz processor. This device measures 108 x 67 mm, has a Mali-400 MP2 graphics processing unit, 2GB of DDR3 RAM and 8GB of Emmc memory. This alternative to Raspberry Pi is also equipped with micro-USB, microSD, SATA, HDMI, CVBS and CSI connections, four USB host ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port and WiFi.

Alternativas a Raspberry Pi-


Arduino Mega 2560 R3

One of the alternatives to Raspberry Pi that is most often confused with it is this Arduino Mega 2560, although the Arduino is based on microcontrollers while the Raspberry Pi does it on a microprocessor connected to the integrated RAM. Both can be used to control electronic devices , but the Raspberry can also be used as a computer on its own, while the Arduino is easier to use in the first steps of electronic prototypes. Usually in the final product it is usually exchanged for a different microcontroller. It has an ATmega2560 processor and a 256KB ROM flash memory.

Arduino