Cheap Raspberry Pi alternatives

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  • BBC micro:bit

    BBC micro:bit

    While the BBC micro:bit is primarily aimed at schools, its low price (about $16) and ease of use makes it a great tool for learning and prototyping on.

    The micro:bit is powered by a 32-bit ARM Cortex processor and comes with a built-in accelerometer, magnetometer and Bluetooth.

    A unique feature of the micro:bit is the integrated 5x5 LED matrix that offers 25 individually programmable red LEDs to use as a basic display or output.

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

  • C.H.I.P.

    C.H.I.P.

    At $9, C.H.I.P. is a perfect demonstration of how cheap computing has become. You get what would only a few years ago have been desktop power on a tiny board.

    • 1.0GHz CPU
    • 512MB of RAM
    • 4GB of storage
    • Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

    More information

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

  • Raspberry Pi Zero W

    Raspberry Pi Zero W

    OK, OK, I know that technically the Zero W is a member of the Raspberry Pi family, but this one is too awesome to not list!

    Why?

    Because for only $10 it offers a very impressive feature set:

    • 1GHz, single-core CPU
    • 512MB RAM
    • Mini-HDMI port
    • Micro-USB On-The-Go port
    • Micro-USB power
    • HAT-compatible 40-pin header
    • Composite video and reset headers
    • CSI camera connector
    • 802.11n wireless LAN
    • Bluetooth 4

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

  • Omega 2

    Omega 2

    The Omega 2 from Onion Corporation comes with built-in Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and on-board flash storage - all for $5!

    The board runs a custom Linux distro that's based on OpenWrt but you can also choose to run FreeBSD.

    The modular nature of the Omega 2 means that you can easily add features such as Bluetooth or GPS to suit your needs.

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

  • VoCore

    VoCore

    A coin-sized Linux computer that is totally open-source, and costs $20. This is a small, low-cost, totally open-source (both the hardware and software) computer that's ideal for projects such as IoT or building your own custom router.

    • 360MHz MIPS CPU
    • 32MB of RAM
    • 8MB of flash memory
    • Ready equipped with header pins for sound, USB 2.0, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi

    More information

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

  • NanoPi 2 Fire

    NanoPi 2 Fire

    A cheap, $23 quad-core powered board that's ideally suited for hobbyists.

    • Samsung S5P4418 quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 up to 1.4GHz
    • 1GB of RAM
    • Gigabit Ethernet
    • USB 2.0

    More information

    Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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Here is a selection of single board computers for homebrew projects and automation, with prices starting at only $5.

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BBC micro:bit

While the BBC micro:bit is primarily aimed at schools, its low price (about $16) and ease of use makes it a great tool for learning and prototyping on.

The micro:bit is powered by a 32-bit ARM Cortex processor and comes with a built-in accelerometer, magnetometer and Bluetooth.

A unique feature of the micro:bit is the integrated 5x5 LED matrix that offers 25 individually programmable red LEDs to use as a basic display or output.

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

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