Top 14 Alternatives to Raspberry Pi 4B

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Everybody in the inventor’s world has played with the Raspberry pi board at one point or another. But not everyone is aware of these cool alternatives available in the market. In this post, I am have listed 14 alternatives to Raspberry Pi along with their pros and cons as compared to Raspberry pi.

Whether you are just looking for a change, or you think Raspberry pi is an overkill for the project you have in mind, or you need an Embedded Linux board that has more processing power, or you need something more powerful than the Raspberry pi, there is something in this list for you!

I have divided the list into 3 sections, section #1 has the alternatives under 60 Euros, section #2 has the alternatives from 60 Euros to 100 Euros, section #3 has the alternatives above 100 Euros. You can jump to the section you like using the Table of Contents below.

So,

What is a Single Board Computer? It is a computer with all the necessary parts like Processor, Primary and secondary memory and the necessary ports on a single printed circuit board. It is usually abbreviated as SBC.

Price: Under 60 Euros

Alternative #1: Beaglebones Black

When you ask someone for an alternative to Raspberry Pi, the first board they will come up with will be BeagleBone boards. They are produced by a non-profit organization called BeagleBoard.org. The goal of these boards is to provide opensource hardware and software platforms for educational purposes.

Beaglebone black
Beaglebone black courtesy Beagleboard.org

Similar to Raspberry Pi, this board can also run the Linux operating system and they come in different form factors. Let’s take a look at the key differences between Raspberry Pi and BeagleBones Black and see where each one shines

Key differences between Beagle Bones Black and Raspberry Pi 4B
BeagleBones BlackRaspberry Pi 4B
Targeted towards people who want to learn Embedded LinuxTargeted towards people who like doing electronics hobby projects and who want an affordable computer to learn computer programming.
Open-source hardware and softwareOpen-source software, but hardware is not 100% open-source
We can build our own BeagleBone BoardsWe cannot build one
There are 7 Analog pinsThere are no analog pins available
65 digital pins40 digital pins
Has JTAG for debuggingNo JTAG
Performance is weaker as compared to Raspberry Pi 4B, but it has 2 Programmable Real-Time Units (PRUs)The performance is better. No PRU.
Online community and resources are plenty but it is still trailing behind Raspberry PiBetter Online Communities and resources
Main Specifications

BeagleBones BlackRaspberry Pi 4B
ProcessorSitara™ AM335x, ARM cortex A8, 1GHz Broadcom BCM2711, Quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
Primary memory512MB DDR3 RAM1GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4
Secondary memoryOnly micro SD card slotOnly micro SD card slot
Price57 Euros45 Euros (2GB Version)
Multimedia and connectivity

BeagleBones BlackRaspberry Pi 4B
Ethernet100Mbps1Gbps
WiFiNo inbuilt WiFi on the base version (WiFi version costs 10 Euros more)2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothNo inbuilt BluetoothBLE 5.0
HDMI1280×1024 (MAX)4K video streaming
USB1 Host USB 2.0 (Type A socket)1 Client USB 2.0 (mini socket)2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type-A connectors

When should you pick the Beaglebones Black for your project? As you can see in the above 3 tables the Raspberry Pi 4 (2GB variant) beats the Beagle Bones Black in terms of specifications at a slightly lower price point. But we do have to keep in mind that the Beagle Bones Black is geared towards a different section of the Single Board Computer enthusiasts which is the Embedded Linux arena. Hence it will be more useful for projects where

  • The presence of more GPIO pins is useful so that more sensors can be connected
  • A JTAG debugging capability is considered a big advantage if you are writing applications to run directly on the processor instead of through an operating system
  • You don’t need WiFi or Bluetooth in your project
  • You need PRUs in your project
  • You would like to design hardware by customizing the design of the Beaglebones black.

Alternative #2: ODROID-XU4

This board is sold by Hardkernel.com. It has a Samsung Xynos Octa-core processor and this can be helpful in highly multi-threaded applications like weather prediction and finite element analysis. Let’s have a look at the differences between ODroid XU4 and the Raspberry Pi 4B.

ODroid-XU4
ODroid-XU4 Courtesy Hardkernel.com
Key differences between ODroid XU4 and Raspberry Pi 4B
ODroid XU4Raspberry Pi 4
Targeted at the same market as the Raspberry Pi Targeted towards people who like doing electronics hobby projects and who want an affordable computer to learn computer programming.
Comes with a heat sink preinstalledNeed to buy it separately
Has a boot button to choose whether to boot from SD card or eMMC cardOnly one boot option
Has 8 cores, which will be helpful for multithreaded applications4 cores
Main Specifications

ODroid XU4Raspberry Pi 4
ProcessorSamsung Exynos 5422 Octo core CPU4 x ARM cortex A15 at 2.0GHz4 x ARM cortex A7 at1.4GHz
Broadcom BCM2711, Quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
GPUARM Mali T628 600MHzBroadcom videocore GPU
Primary memory2GB DDR3 RAM1GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4 
Secondary memoryeMMC connector, and micro SD card slotOnly micro SD card slot
Price59 Euros54 Euros (2GB version)
Multimedia and connectivity

ODroid XU4Raspberry Pi 4B
Ethernet1Gbps1Gbps
WiFiNot available2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothNot availableBLE 5.0
HDMIHDMI 1.4 supports up to 1080p4K/60fps video streaming, 2 micro HDMI ports
USB1 USB 2.0 type A socket and 2 USB 3.0 type A sockets
2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type-A connectors
Other ConnectorsUART portDisplay connector and Camera connector

When should you pick ODroid XU4 for your project? You can pick the ODroid XU4 if

  • Your project needs frequent switching between 2 operating systems
  • you need a fast booting performance through eMMC
  • Your project need high multithreaded performance since the processor has 8 cores.

Alternative #3: ROCKPro64

This board is made and sold by Pine64.org. Let’s have a look at the differences between the RockPro64 and Raspberry Pi 4B.

Rock Pro64
Rock Pro64 courtesy Pine64.org
Key differences between ROCKPro64 and Raspberry Pi 4B
ROCKPro64Raspberry Pi 4
Targeted towards high-end hobby projects that need more camera connectivity and projects that need more storage like NAS servers Targeted towards people who like doing electronics hobby projects and who want an affordable computer to learn computer programming.
Has 3 camera connectors, LCD screen, eMMC socket, PCIe x4 slot, Has just 1 camera connector and no PCIe or eMMC slots
Is very big, more than 2 times larger than the Raspberry PiCredit card size
Main Specifications

ROCKPro64Raspberry Pi 4
ProcessorRK3399 6 core, 2xA72 (up to 2.0GHz) and 4xA53 cores (up to 1.5GHz)Broadcom BCM2711, Quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
GPUARM Mali T864 GPUBroadcom videocore GPU
Primary memory2GB/4GB LPDDR41GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4 
Secondary memory eMMC slot and micro SD card slotOnly micro SD card slot
Price60 Euros (2GB version)54 Euros (2GB version)
Multimedia and connectivity

ROCKPro64Raspberry Pi 4B
Ethernet1Gbps1Gbps
WiFiNeed to plug in a module (slot available)2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothNeed to plug in a module (slot available)BLE 5.0
HDMI4K/60fps HDMI port4K/60fps video streaming, 2 micro HDMI ports
USB2xUSB 2.0 type-A, 1xUSB3.0 type-A and 1xUSB-C port2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type-A connectors
Other Connectors3 camera connectors (2 x CSI and 1 x CMOS)Display connector and Camera connector

When should you pick ROCKPro64 for your project? The RockPro64 is a good choice if

  • your project needs a more powerful processor as compared to the Raspberry Pi 4B
  • you need 3 camera connectors
  • you need eMMC slot
  • you don’t care about the size of the board (this one is twice as big as the Raspberry Pi 4B!)

Alternative #4: Rock Pi 4B

This board is made and sold by RADXA. Let’s have a look at the differences between the Rock Pi 4B and Raspberry Pi 4B.

Rock Pi 4B
Rock Pi 4B courtesy radxa.com
Key differences between Rock Pi 4B and Raspberry Pi 4B
Rock Pi 4BRaspberry Pi 4B
Hexa core CPUQuad-core CPU
Option for eMMC and NVMe storageNot available
Software support not as good as Raspberry Pi Better software support
5 Bucks cheaper than Raspberry pi 4BA little bit more expensive
Main Specifications

Rock Pi 4BRaspberry Pi 4B
ProcessorRockchip RK3399 SoC6 core, 2 x A72 (up to 1.8 GHz) and 4xA53 cores (up to 1.4GHz)Broadcom BCM2711, Quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
GPUARM Mali T860MP4 GPUBroadcom videocore GPU
Primary memory1GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4 1GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4 
Secondary memoryeMMC card slot, micro SD card slotM.2 Slot for NVMe SSDOnly micro SD card slot
Price50 Euros (2GB version)54 Euros (2GB version)
Multimedia and connectivity

Rock Pi 4BRaspberry Pi 4B
Ethernet1Gbps1Gbps
WiFi2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothBLE 5.0BLE 5.0
HDMI1 X HDMI port4K @60fps 4K/60fps video streaming, 2 micro hdmi ports
USB2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type A connectors2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type A connectors
Other ConnectorsPoE connector, Display connector and Camera connectorDisplay connector and Camera connector

When should you pick Rock Pi 4B for your project? You can choose the Rock Pi 4B if

  • your project needs fast storage options via eMMC and NVMe flash storage
  • you need a CPU with more cores (6 core CPU) for your multi-threaded applications
  • you are good at messing with Linux to get things working!

Alternative #5: Atomic Pi

This board is sold by dlidirect.com. It has an Intel Atom Processor and hence the name. It was originally designed for a robot but later once the plan to mass-produce these robots was dropped these boards were auctioned off and have been rebranded. So they are limited in supply.

Atomic Pi
Atomic Pi, Courtesy dlidirect
Key differences between Atomic Pi and Raspberry Pi 4B
Atomic PiRaspberry Pi 4
Targeted towards people who need an x86 single-board computer for their hobby project. Targeted towards people who like doing electronics hobby projects and who want an affordable computer to learn computer programming.
Can run mainstream operating systems and has a 9 axis inertial navigation sensorHas just 1 camera connector and no PCIe or eMMC slots
Much larger than Raspberry PiCredit card size
Need to be powered through GPIO connectorsHas USB-C power connection
Main Specifications

Atomic PiRaspberry Pi 4
ProcessorIntel Atom x5-z8350x86 quad-core @1.44GHz (1.92GHz Burst)Broadcom BCM2711, Quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
GPUCherry Trial HD graphics (200 to 500 MHz)Broadcom videocore GPU
Primary memory2GB DDR3 RAM1GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4 
Secondary memory16GB onboard eMMC flash storage and micro SD card slotOnly micro SD card slot
Price50 Euros54 Euros (2GB version)
Multimedia and connectivity

Atomic PiRaspberry Pi 4B
Ethernet1Gbps1Gbps
WiFiWiFI b/g/n 2.4 & 5GHz WiFi2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothBLE 4.0BLE 5.0
HDMI1xHDMI1080p @60fps video streaming.4K/60fps video streaming, 2 micro HDMI ports
USB1 USB 3.0 port, 1 USB 2.0 available as a header2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type-A connectors
Other ConnectorsVolume control, system fan, UART and speaker connectorsDisplay connector and Camera connector

When should you pick Atomic Pi for your project? You can go with Atomic Pi if

  • you need an x86 based mainstream processor at a very cheap price tag of 50 euros.
  • you need an IMU sensor on your project
  • you need faster booting using the onboard flash storage
  • you don’t expect to upgrade your project with newer hardware in a couple of year time
  • you don’t need the camera or display connectors

Alternative #6: Orange Pi 3

Orange Pi 3 is designed and sold by orangepi.org. As the name suggests they are a direct competitor to the Raspberry Pi ecosystem. (at least in terms of hardware!). Let’s compare the Orange Pi 3 with Raspberry Pi 4B.

Orange Pi 3
Orange Pi 3 courtesy orangepi.org
Key differences between Orange Pi 3 and Raspberry Pi 4B
Orange Pi 3Raspberry Pi 4B
Targeted towards professionals who need good specs at a lower price point, and are willing to write their own software to make things work Targeted towards people who like doing electronics hobby projects and who want an affordable computer to learn computer programming.
Very bad manufacturer-provided software support.The best software and online community in the single board computer market 
Good value for money in terms of hardwareGood value for money as a system (Hardware and Software)
Main Specifications

Orange Pi 3Raspberry Pi 4
ProcessorAllwinner H6, Quad-core A-53 at 1.8GHzBroadcom BCM2711, Quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
GPUARM Mali T720 GPUBroadcom video-core GPU
Primary memory2GB LPDDR31GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4
Secondary memory8GB eMMC and a micro SD card slotOnly micro SD card slot
Price40 Euros45 Euros (2GB Version)

Multimedia and connectivity


Orange Pi 3Raspberry Pi 4B
Ethernet1Gbps1Gbps
WiFi2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothBLE 5.0BLE 5.0
HDMI4K/60fps video streaming, 1 HDMI ports4K/60fps video streaming, 2 micro HDMI ports
USB4xUSB 3.0 and 1xUSB 2.0 all type-A connectors
2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type-A connectors
Other ConnectorsPCIe 2.0, micro USB OTG port, microphone, UART, IR receiverDisplay connector and Camera connector

When should you pick the Orange Pi 3 for your project? As we can see in the tables above the Orange Pi 3 does not have very good software support but the hardware specs are good. You can choose this board for your project

  • if you need fast boot-up times since this board has 8GB eMMC onboard
  • If you need PCIe slots and IR receiver to make home entertainment systems
  • if you are very good at Linux and can handle all the software hiccups!

Alternative #7: Chip

Chip is the cheapest single board computer with onboard WiFi and Bluetooth. Costing at 9 Euros it is a highly capable device. Just to see what you will be losing in terms of specs and performance let’s compare the CHIP with the Raspberry Pi 4B.

CHIP
CHIP courtesy kickstarter.com
Key differences between CHIP and Raspberry Pi 4B
CHIPRaspberry Pi 4B
For light-weight projects Targeted towards people who like doing electronics hobby projects and who want an affordable computer to learn computer programming.
Has a composite video port by defaultNot available
2 X 40 pin header40 Pin header
Very cheap at 9 EurosNo PRU’s available
Main Specifications

CHIPRaspberry Pi 4B
ProcessorAllwinner R8 SoC, 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
GPUARM Mali 400MHz GPUBroadcom videocore GPU
Primary memory512MB DDR3 RAM1GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4 
Secondary memory4GB onboard flash storageOnly micro SD card slot
Price9 Euros54 Euros (2GB version)
Multimedia and connectivity

CHIPRaspberry Pi 4B
EthernetNot available1Gbps
WiFi802.11 b/g/n2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothBLE 4.0BLE 5.0
HDMIComposite video output, has HDMI add on DIPs available4K/60fps video streaming, 2 micro hdmi ports
USBUSB 2.0 x 1 type A2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type A connectors
Other ConnectorsLipo battery connectorDisplay connector and Camera connector

It really is not a fair comparison since they are in different leagues both in terms of price and in terms of performance so let’s take a moment to compare the CHIP with its cousin from the Raspberry PI family the Raspberry Pi Zero.

Key differences between CHIP and Raspberry Pi Zero
CHIPRaspberry Pi Zero
For light-weight projectsFor light-weight projects
Has a composite video port by defaultNot available
2 X 40 pin header40 Pin header
Has WiFi and BluetoothNo WiFi or Bluetooth
Very cheap at 9 EurosEven cheaper at 5 Euros
Main Specifications

CHIPRaspberry Pi Zero
ProcessorAllwinner R8 SoC, 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 Broadcom BCM2835, 32-bit SoC @ 1GHz
GPUARM Mali 400MHz GPUBroadcom videocore GPU
Primary memory512MB DDR3 RAM512MB DDR2 RAM
Secondary memory4GB onboard flash storageOnly micro SD card slot
Price9 Euros5 Euros
Multimedia and connectivity

CHIPRaspberry Pi Zero
EthernetNot availableNot available
WiFi802.11 b/g/nNot available
BluetoothBLE 4.0Not available
HDMIComposite video output, has HDMI add on DIPs availableMini HDMI port, 1080p @ 60fps
USBUSB 2.0 x 1 type AMicro USB port
Other ConnectorsLipo battery connectorComposite video port headers

They both have their Pros and Cons.

The Raspberry Pi Zero has an HDMI port and good software and ecosystem support while the CHIP has WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.

When should you pick CHIP for your project? You can pick up the CHIP if

  • you don’t care about the display and you are planning to SSH into the CHIP remotely
  • Your project is not performance intensive (Most hobby projects can be done here)
  • you need to connect a lot of sensors to the GPIOs

Price: 60 to 100 Euros

Alternative #8: Asus Tinkerboard

The Tinkerboard is a single board computer from Asus at a price of 70 Euros this board has an excellent build quality and a quadcore 1.8GHz processor. Let’s see how the Asus Tinkerboard compares with the Raspberry Pi 4B

Asus Tinkerboard
Asus Tinkerboard courtesy Asus
Key differences between Asus Tinkerboard and Raspberry Pi 4B
Asus Tinker BoardRaspberry Pi 4B
Excellent build quality, better than a Raspberry Pi 4BVery good build quality bit behind the Tinker Board
We can connect an external antenna for WiFi and Bluetooth, so we can get better wireless performance No option to connect external antenna
Not so good community and software supportExcellent community and software support
Main Specifications

Asus Tinker BoardRaspberry Pi 4B
ProcessorRockchip quad-core RK3288ARM Cortex A17 @ 1.8GHzBroadcom BCM2711, Quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
GPUARM Mali T760 at 600MHzBroadcom videocore GPU
Primary memory2GB DDR31GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4
Secondary memoryOnly micro SD card slotOnly micro SD card slot
Price70 Euros45 Euros (2GB Version)
Multimedia and connectivity

Asus Tinker BoardRaspberry Pi 4B
Ethernet1Gbps1Gbps
WiFi2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11 b/g/n (option to connect external antenna)2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothBLE 4.0BLE 5.0
HDMI4k/30fps video streaming, 1 HDMI port4K/60fps video streaming, 2 micro HDMI ports
USB4 USB 2.0 type-A ports2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type-A connectors

When should you pick Asus Tinker Board for your project? The Asus Tinkerboard is a suitable choice if

  • you need excellent wireless reception through external antennas
  • you need a comparable performance as the Raspi 4B
  • you don’t mind spending the extra 15 bucks
  • you don’t need BLE 5.0 or USB 3.0

To summarise the Tinkerboard is a very good board and it needs an upgrade for it to compete with the Raspi 4B. For now, it is not a great choice unless you need to add external antennas.

Alternative #9: Nvidia Jetson Nano

Nvidia the GPU manufacturer has also entered the Single Board Computer Market. Let’s have a look at Nvidia’s Jetson Nano maker board and see how it compares to the Raspberry Pi 4B.

Nvidia Jetson Nano
Nvidia Jetson Nano, courtesy Nvidia
Key differences between Nvidia Jetson Nano and Raspberry Pi 4B
Nvidia Jetson NanoRaspberry Pi 4
Targeted towards people who want to make some Artificial Intelligence Projects Targeted towards people who like doing electronics hobby projects and who want an affordable computer to learn computer programming.
Comes as 2 pieces, an SoM (System on Module) and carrier board combinationComes as a single piece
Better performing GPU as compared to Raspberry Pi 4GPU is basic
Main Specifications

Nvidia Jetson NanoRaspberry Pi 4
ProcessorQuad-core A57 at 1.43GHz Broadcom BCM2711, Quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
GPU120 CUDA core Maxwell GPUBroadcom video core GPU
Primary memory4GB LPDDR41GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4
Secondary memoryOnly SD card slotOnly SD card slot
Price90 Euros45 Euros (2GB Version)
Multimedia and connectivity

Nvidia Jetson NanoRaspberry Pi 4B
Ethernet1Gbps1Gbps
WiFiNo inbuilt WiFi2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothNo inbuilt BluetoothBLE 5.0
HDMI4K @ 60fps video streaming, 1 HDMI port, and 1 display port4K @ 60fps video streaming, 2 micro HDMI ports
USB4 USB 3.0 all type-A connectors2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type-A connectors

When should you pick the Nvidia Jetson Nano for your project? The Jetson Nano is a good choice if

  • Your project has some machine learning/AI component
  • You don’t need wireless connectivity and you don’t mind adding them through the USB ports
  • You don’t mind spending 2 times the price of Raspberry Pi 4B

To summarise the GPU is the main selling point of this Single Board Computer.

Alternative #10: Beagle Bone AI

This is another board from the Beagleboard organization. This is specifically designed for robotics, machine vision, and artificial intelligence projects. It is supported by the Texas Instruments Machine learning library. Let’s compare it with the Raspberry Pi 4B.

Beaglebone AI
Beaglebone AI courtesy Beagleboard
Key differences between Beagle Bone AI and Raspberry Pi 4B
Beaglebone AIRaspberry Pi 4B
Targeted towards Embedded Machine Learning projects for researchers and hobbyists Targeted towards people who like doing electronics hobby projects and who want an affordable computer to learn computer programming.
It has 4 Embedded Vision Engines (EVEs) which are supported by Texas Instrument’s TIDL machine learning libraryNot available
2 x 46 pin expansion headers40 Pin header
2x Dual-Core Programmable Real-Time Unit (PRU) subsystems (4 PRUs total) No PRU’s available
Main Specifications

Beaglebone AIRaspberry Pi 4B
ProcessorTexas Instruments AM5729, Dual Core ARM Cortex-A15 @1.5GHzBroadcom BCM2711, Quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
GPUVivante® GC320 2D graphics accelerator dual-core PowerVR® SGX544™ 3D GPUBroadcom videocore GPU
Primary memory1GB DDR31GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4 
Secondary memory16GB eMMC onboard storage, micro SD card slotOnly micro SD card slot
Price90 Euros54 Euros (2GB version)
Multimedia and connectivity

Beaglebone AIRaspberry Pi 4B
Ethernet1Gbps1Gbps
WiFi2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothBLE 4.2BLE 5.0
HDMIMicro HDMI port 4K@15fps, 1080p@60fps4K/60fps video streaming, 2 micro hdmi ports
USBUSB 2.0 Type A port2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type-A connectors
Other ConnectorsUART serial portDisplay connector and Camera connector

When should you pick the Beaglebone AI for your project? The Beaglebone AI is the best choice when your project has

  • machine-learning parts which need to be quick and efficient
  • you need Programmable Realtime Units
  • you need faster storage and boot-up time
  • you don’t need a camera or display connector

Alternative #11: NanoPi M4

The Nano Pi M4 is produced and sold by Friendlyarm.com. It is a fairly expensive SBC at 99 euros. Let’s see how it compares to the Raspberry Pi 4B.

NanoPi M4
NanoPi M4 Courtesy Friendlyarm
Key differences between NanoPi M4 and Raspberry Pi 4B
Nano Pi M4Raspberry Pi 4
People who would like something similar to a Raspberry Pi but with some eMMC storage and PCIe expansion options Targeted towards people who like doing electronics hobby projects and who want an affordable computer to learn computer programming.
40 pin Raspberry pi compatible GPIO connectors and a 24 pin connector with 2xUSB 2.0 and PCIe x 2 Only 40 Pin connector 
Good software support, community support not as good as Raspberry PiThe best software and community support in the market.
Main Specifications

Nano Pi M4Raspberry Pi 4
ProcessorRK3399, 6 core, 2 x A72 (upto 2.0GHz) and 4xA53 cores (upto 1.5GHz)Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
GPUARM Mali T864 GPUBroadcom videocore GPU
Primary memory2GB/4GB DDR3 1GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4 
Secondary memoryeMMC slot and micro SD card slotOnly micro SD card slot
Price99 Euros (2GB version)45 Euros (2GB version)
Multimedia and connectivity

Nano Pi M4Raspberry Pi 4B
Ethernet1Gbps1Gbps
WiFi2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothBLE 4.1BLE 5.0
HDMI4k/60fps video streaming, 1 HDMI port4K/60fps video streaming, 2 micro hdmi ports
USB4 USB 3.0 Ports all type A connectors, USB-C (OTG)2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type A connectors
Other ConnectorsDisplay connector and Camera connectorDisplay connector and Camera connector

When should you pick the NanoPi M4 for your project? You can pick the Nano Pi 4B if

  • your application is multi-threaded and needs more cores as compared to Raspi4B
  • It needs more GPIO pins as compared to Raspi4B
  • you are okay with BLE 4.1 and don’t need BLE 5.0
  • you don’t mind spending the extra 55 bucks for the upgrade.

To summarise, unless your project requirements match the Nano Pi M4 exactly, it is not a great replacement for the Rasp4B at the 100 Euro price tag.

Alternative #12: LattePanda

The Lattepand is the first SBC from dfrobot. This is another Intel-Atom based SBC that can run Windows 10 Operating System. Let’s see how it compares with the Raspi4B

Lattepanda
Lattepanda Courtesy dfrobot.com
Key differences between LattePanda and Raspberry Pi 4B
LattepandaRaspberry Pi 4
Same as Raspberry pi but with windows and x86 platform Targeted towards people who like doing electronics hobby projects and who want an affordable computer to learn computer programming.
Intel Atom processor, Arduino coprocessor both have GPIO pinsNo option to connect external antenna
Windows 10 comes pre installedExcellent community and software support
Main Specifications

LattepandaRaspberry Pi 4
ProcessorIntel Z8300 quad-core Atom processor at 1.44GHz to 1.84GHzATMega32u4 co-processorBroadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
GPUIntel Gen 8 200 to 500MHzBroadcom videocore GPU
Primary memory2GB/4GB DDR3 1GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4
Secondary memory32GB/64GB eMMC onboard storageOnly SD card slot
Price99 Euros (2GB/32GB version)54 Euros (2GB version)
Multimedia and connectivity

LattepandaRaspberry Pi 4B
Ethernet100Mbps1Gbps
WiFi802.11n 2.4GHz 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothBLE 4.0BLE 5.0
HDMIHDMI full size port4K/60fps video streaming, 2 micro hdmi ports
USB2 x USB 2.0 port1 X USB 3.0 port2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type A connectors
Other portsTouch panel and LCD panel connectorsDisplay and Camera connectors

When should you pick Lattepanda for your project? It is the best option if

  • you have an Arduino project which needs to communicate with your PC and you want to miniaturize it.
  • you need windows 10 and a fairly powerful processor
  • you need faster storage

To summarize the Lattepanda is a good SBC for 100 Euros as it comes with 32/64GB of eMMC preinstalled along with an Intel Atom Processor and a ATMega32 microcontroller.

Price: Over 100 Euros

Alternative #13: LattePanda Alpha 864

The Lattepanda alpha 864 is an excellent SBC from dfrobot. It hosts a laptop level Intel Dual-core m3 7y 30 processor. It is priced at 330 Euros. At first thought, you might think who is gonna buy it at this price point. The answer to that question is Industry! It can be used to make prototypes and proof of concepts.

LattePanda Alpha 864
LattePanda Alpha 864, courtesy dfrobot

Let’s see how it compares to Raspberry Pi 4B.

Key differences between LattePanda Alpha 864 and Raspberry Pi 4B
Lattepanda alpha 864Raspberry Pi 4
Targeted towards professionals who need to prototype their latest product onto a small form factor board and make proof of concepts. Targeted towards people who like doing electronics hobby projects and who want an affordable computer to learn computer programming.
100 pins40 pins
Cost is about 7x the price of a Raspberry Pi 4BPrice is much lower and hobbyist friendly
Performance is on par with
budget Laptops
Performance on par with
budget smartphones
Not as good online support as Raspberry PisBetter Online Communities
Main Specifications

Lattepanda alpha 864Raspberry Pi 4
ProcessorIntel Dual core m3 7y 30, upto 2.6Ghz and a Arduino Leanardo coprocessor ATMega 32u4Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
GPUIntel HD graphics 615Broadcom videocore GPU
Primary memory8GB LPDDR31GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4
Secondary memory64GB eMMC 5.0 Onboard storage and a micro SD card slotOnly micro SD card slot
Price330 Euros 45 Euros (2GB Version)
Multimedia and connectivity

Lattepanda alpha 864Raspberry Pi 4B
Ethernet1Gbps1Gbps
WiFi2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothBLE 4.2BLE 5.0
HDMI4k HDMI port x 1USB-C port x 1 (can be used as data or display port)
NVMe M.2 slot that can take an SSD
4K/60fps video streaming, 2 micro hdmi ports
USB3xUSB 3.0 type A connectors2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type A connectors
Other ConnectorsDisplay connector, Touch panel connectors, M.2 E-Keyed PCIe Slot.  Display connector and Camera connector

When should you pick Lattepanda alpha 864 for your project? The Lattepanda alpha is the only option if

  • you need to make a proof of concept for a professional computation-intensive application/product
  • you don’t have a hardware engineer in your team to fulfill your needs for a high-performance single-board computer
  • you don’t care about the price tag

Alternative #14: UDOO Bolt V8 Ryzen

Last but not least is the UDoo Bolt V8 Ryzen, produced by udoo.org, a Ryzen embedded V1605B based board is the most expensive SBC in our list at 410 Euros. It is practically a desktop computer, though smaller than a typical motherboard. Let’s have a comparison with the Raspi4B.

UDOO BOLT V8 RYZEN
UDOO BOLT V8 RYZEN Courtesy udoo.org

The ATMega32U4 (same microcontroller as arduino leanardo board) is connected via USB to the main Ryzen system, so it is similar to connecting an Arduino Leanardo via USB to a computer.

Key differences between UDOO Bolt V8 Ryzen and Raspberry Pi 4B
UDOO Bolt V8 RyzenRaspberry Pi 4
Robotics and as a Desktop PC with a very small form factor Vega 8 Graphics can help it to run AI tasks Targeted towards people who like doing electronics hobby projects and who want an affordable computer to learn computer programming.
Has a ATMega32U chip soldered onto the PCB and connected to the main Ryzen system via USBSingle processor
12 x 12 cm Credit card size
Very expensiveMore expensive than similar performance desktop buildsComparitively a lot cheaper 
Performance is on par with budget LaptopsPerformance on par with budget smartphones
Main Specifications

UDOO Bolt V8 RyzenRaspberry Pi 4
ProcessorRyzen embedded V1605B, quad core 2.0/3.6 GHz and ATMega32U4 microcontrollerBroadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz
GPURadeon Vega 8 upto 1100MHzBroadcom videocore GPU
Primary memoryNo onboard storage, 2xDDR4 SODIMM slots 1GB/2GB/4GB LPDDR4 
Secondary memory32Gb onboard eMMC storage, SATA connector, M.2 SATA SSD slot and M.2 NVMe SSD slot Only micro SD card slot
Price410 Euros54 Euros (2GB version)
Multimedia and connectivity

UDOO Bolt V8 RyzenRaspberry Pi 4B
Ethernet1Gbps1Gbps
WiFiNot available (M.2 slot available for plugging in a wireless card)2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac
BluetoothNot available (M.2 slot available for plugging in a wireless card)BLE 5.0
HDMI2xHDMI ports 4K/60fps4K/60fps video streaming, 2 micro hdmi ports
USB2xUSB-C2xUSB 3.1 type A ports2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 all type A connectors
Other ConnectorsSpeaker connectors, IR reciever, Arduino compatible connectorsDisplay connector and Camera connector

When should you pick UDOO Bolt V8 Ryzen for your project? Pick the UDOO Bolt V8 Ryzen if

  • price is not an issue
  • your company needs to make a proof of concept of a computation-intensive product
  • You need an Arduino coprocessor on board
  • You need M.2 slots and SODIMM slots much like a normal motherboard
  • you don’t mind the size increase as compared to the Lattepanda alpha

To summarise this is a miniaturized motherboard with the processor, co-processor, and memory soldered onboard.

If you have any questions or suggessions you can also email us or contact us through this link!

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Editor
Balaji Gunasekaran
Balaji Gunasekaran is a Senior Software Engineer with a Master of Science degree in Mechatronics and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. He loves to write about tech and has written more than 300 articles. He has also published the book “Cracking the Embedded Software Engineering Interview”. You can follow him on LinkedIn