Is Raspberry Pi or Arduino Better for Your Projects?

Arduino, Raspberry Pi, whatever, they all look similar. But are they really the same thing? I didn’t pay much attention when I bought my first Pi, but they are completely different devices. Let’s make sure you understand each one so you can choose the best option for your next project.

The Raspberry Pi can be thought of as a miniature computer with an operating system and connected accessories (traditional devices, but also electronic sensors and components). On the other hand, an Arduino is just a controller that performs basic tasks via scripting (typically in mechanical environments).

You have the quick answer, but it’s not that simple. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between Arduino and Raspberry Pi.

Table of Contents

• Raspberry Pi vs. Arduino: A Different Conception
• Raspberry Pi vs. Arduino: Specs Comparison
• Raspberry Pi vs. Arduino: Project Examples
• Raspberry Pi vs. Arduino: Pros and Cons
• Raspberry Pi vs. Arduino: Make the Decision
• Other Raspberry Pi Alternatives
• Closing Thoughts: The Final Choice

Raspberry Pi vs. Arduino: A Different Conception

The first thing I would like to explain is the conception differences between the two systems.
Indeed, the Raspberry Pi and Arduino were not built for the same purpose.

Raspberry Pi

The first Raspberry Pi was announced in 2002 by the Raspberry Pi Foundation.
It’s a single-board computer (SBC), so basically it’s a computer.
Yes, it’s miniature and not the most powerful, but it’s a computer regardless.

Programming

You could install Linux on it and the default distribution is Raspberry Pi OS, an offshoot of the well-known Debian distribution.
You’ll get anything like on a classic computer and also some IO ports to integrate the Raspberry Pi into a more complex system (I’ll give you some examples later).

So if you need to program it, it’ll be just like on any other Linux system.
You could use any Linux compatible language, like C, C++, Ruby, Python, Perl, and many others.

Other Raspberry Pi Devices

The Raspberry Pi is now available in two versions:

• The typical mainline family, the latest model at this moment is the Raspberry Pi 5.
• The Zero version, cheaper and smaller, the last one is now the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.

Community

As the history of single-board computers started with the Raspberry Pi, there’s a big community around this device. You can easily find help or ideas on a lot of websites and forums, for any topics you’ll start.

More than that, as the Raspberry Pi is almost a Linux computer, it allows you to ask questions in the linked communities.
If you have issues with C++ programming, you could check forums about C++.
If you have problems with Apache/PHP, there’s a lot of help online for these topics.

Arduino

Arduino is the name of a company that designs these single-board controllers.
It’s NOT a computer and that’s the first big difference between Raspberry Pi and Arduino.

As you can see in the picture, you’ll get a USB port, a power port, and that’s all.
There’s no HDMI and no network connection. There’s no SD card so you can’t install an OS on it.
But you could also use IO ports to extend the capabilities of the controller (add other circuit boards called shields or plug the Arduino to your project peripherals: engine, light, etc.).

Programming

Here’s the software you must use to manage the controller hardware (Arduino IDE).
You create the code on your computer and send it into the Arduino by USB.
Once your code is complete, the controller will run it continuously as long as it’s turned on.

So you could do a lot of things, but you should be starting to understand the limits of Arduino.

Other Arduino Devices

And finally, you must know that there are several versions of Arduino.
In this article, I’ll talk about the Arduino Uno R3 only. It’s the most used in the world and the most similar to the Raspberry Pi in term of size and disposition.

But you could also check other devices from the same company:

• Basic devices (Uno, Leonardo, 101 or Esplora).
• Enhanced devices: This will add a better component for some features or add extra capabilities (Mega, Zero, Due).
• Internet of things: These controllers are the same as listed previously, but with more connectivity (Leonardo Eth is a Leonardo controller with an additional ethernet port).
• Wearable: Arduino also works for wearable devices. They are miniature controllers your could power with a small battery to create your project (Gemma, Lilypad).

You can find all the products detail on the official website.
But for the end of this article, I’ll compare the Raspberry Pi 3B+ to the Arduino Uno R3.

Community

The Arduino also has a good community to help you with anything.
This official forum has received more than 3 million posts by 600k users.
There are also a lot of other websites and forums to help you.

The main difference with the Raspberry Pi is that you can only ask one community.
Hardware and software on Arduino are specific and you can’t get help from the Linux or developers community; it’s a niche topic, different from anything else.

Wait, I have some recommendations for you!

Before you go any further, I want you to take a look at some of the recommendations I’ve handpicked for you. I think these are essential items you should have for your Raspberry Pi. You can check them out and buy them directly from Amazon.

A silent and convenient case	A cool SSD for increased performances	A nice monitor, to stop using the TV	A dedicated keyboard with touchpad

Raspberry Pi vs. Arduino: Specs Comparison

Now that you’re starting to understand the design differences between the two boards, let’s take a look at their specifications.

Here’s a comparison table that shows the differences between them:

	Raspberry Pi 3B	Arduino Uno Rev 3
CPU	ARMv8 1.4Ghz 64bits	16Mhz
RAM	1 GB	0.000002 GB
Storage	Micro SD Card (2G to 128G)	32 KB
IO Pins	40	20
Connectivity	10/100Mbps LAN, 802.11n Wireless, Bluetooth 4.2	–
Ports	4 usb ports 3.5mm audio jack (output) HDMI Composite video	USB port (input only)
Dimensions	86 mm x 54mm x 17mm	76mm x 19mm x 64mm
Operating system	Many Linux distributions	None
Languages	Any Linux compatible language	Arduino
	Check the price on Amazon	Check the price on Amazon

Once again, we are comparing different things:

• Raspberry offers all the needed components for a computer:
  • A full CPU
  • Enough RAM to run most Linux distributions
  • All ports we could find on a standard computer (USB ports, HDMI display)
  • And all connectivity solutions you would need (Ethernet, Wi-fi, Bluetooth)
• Arduino is not a computer, but has other advantages:
  • Its size is smaller than that of the Raspberry Pi
  • The price is two times lower than a Raspberry Pi
  • You don’t need any accessories to use it

This comparison of the specs shows us again the big difference between the two devices.
It also leads us into the rest of this article; that is to say that the use of each board will be different depending on the project:

• For Raspberry Pi projects, it will act as the brain, mostly in the central role.
• For Arduino projects, it exists as one element alongside among many others. Even if it remains indispensable, it will act more like an intermediary.

Raspberry Pi vs. Arduino: Project Examples

To illustrate what I just said, here are some typical projects completed with both devices.

Raspberry Pi

If your project needs an operating system, that’s where the Raspberry Pi shines.

Magic Mirror

What we call a Magic Mirror project with a Raspberry Pi is to build a mirror that will display things on it, like on the picture.

Without going too much in detail, this could work with a traditional PC.
You need a Linux distribution to display what you want and use a two-way glass to reflect the image and make the whole thing look like a mirror.

As you need an operating system and a display screen, this is not an Arduino project.
This is the perfect kind of project that a Raspberry Pi will be used for.

Retro-Gaming Console

You may know that Raspberry Pi is often associated with retro-gaming because there are some Linux distributions dedicated to gaming that run smoothly on a Raspberry Pi.

These distros allow you to install games (you need to downloads ROMs) and play with a USB controller. We need disk space, an OS, a powerful CPU and RAM, and even USB ports.
This project is perfect for a Raspberry Pi, not an Arduino.

File Server

The last one I will introduce is a file server. On a Raspberry Pi, you could install any Linux distribution and then add a Samba server to use it as a network share at home.

As you might’ve guessed, this is another Raspberry Pi project because you need to install an operating system and you need network connectivity.

Arduino

OK, you now know what a Raspberry Pi project looks like, but what’s left for Arduino then?
Any project that is more electronics or robotics, not requiring an OS or user interactions.

Robot

Imagine that you want to build a robot that’s remotely controlled by your smartphone.

In this case, the brain of your system will be your phone (and you :).
So you do not need an OS or a screen for the robot to do the required actions.

You’ll need to add some other modules to the Arduino:

• Batteries to power the robot on the move
• A motor to allow the robot to move
• A Bluetooth receiver to receive instructions from the smartphone
• Maybe a camera to see where the robot is

But everything is doable with the Arduino, and you don’t need a computer to manage this.

Sensor

This is not a project but a global idea, working with a temperature sensor or any other sensors.

To complete this kind of project, you only need some electronics. The sensor will continuously monitor the current status and do something when the threshold configured is exceeded.

This action could be anything you want:

• a light blinking
• a beep
• activation of a more complex system to solve the problem detected

You don’t need a full computer to monitor temperature, so you don’t need a Raspberry Pi for this—an Arduino is enough and less expensive.

Raspberry Pi vs. Arduino: Pros and Cons

To sum up, here are the pros and cons for both Raspberry Pi and Arduino.

Raspberry Pi

Pros

• Linux OS that allows you to do a lot of things directly without additional hardware
• Open to a lot of programming languages compatible with Linux distros
• More powerful (RAM and CPU)
• More GPIO pins available
• Easy to start if you know things about Linux
• Networking (Ethernet and Wi-Fi directly available)

Cons

• Linux operating system (harder to start for beginners)
• Only the software is open-source
• Need more power to run
• More expensive

Arduino

Pros

• Cheaper (roughly half the price for the main board only)
• Easy to start for beginners (no need to master Linux)
• Robust (no bugs or issues with the operating system)
• Smaller (with no shields, but it could grow fast)
• Open source
• Low power architecture

Cons

• Low memory and storage
• No integrated Internet connectivity (could be added with shields)
• Less powerful
• Useless without other modules (you can do a lot of projects only with the Raspberry Pi board, but almost none with the Arduino alone)

Raspberry Pi vs. Arduino: Make the Decision

Now that you have all the information you need, you should be able to make a decision.
If you’re still not sure, let me give you some examples of where it’s best to choose one over the other, depending on your skills or project ideas.

You should use a Raspberry Pi if:

• You have good knowledge of Linux but not really for electronic circuits.
• Your project involves a network connection.
• Your project is mainly based on a software (Torrent box, VPN, website, file server).
• Your project is complex (ex: open the garage door if the car plate is recognized by API call).
• You don’t care about energy consumption.
• You need a lot of computer accessories (screen or USB devices like a keyboard).

You should use an Arduino if:

• You are good at electronics but not really computing.
• Your project doesn’t need connection to a network.
• Your project is based on a simple system (open a door, move something, read sensors).
• Your project needs to remain simple (ex: open the garage door with remote control).
• Your project needs to work with low power.
• You only need electronics modules, no computer accessories.

So how many check marks do you have on each side? 🙂
In general, it will be enough to choose the one with the best score on this test.
If it’s a close call, choose the Raspberry Pi—you won’t be disappointed.

Other Raspberry Pi Alternatives

Even if we often talk about a duel between Raspberry Pi and Arduino in media, there are other alternatives. Indeed, the success of the Raspberry Pi gave ideas to other companies, like the usual motherboard and computer manufacturers.

In this list, forget about the Arduino. This list is about other single-board computers (SBCs) like the Raspberry Pi, where you can run a Linux OS and get a lot of computers ports.

Asus Tinker Board

Asus is a significant company in computer hardware.
They sell desktop, laptop, components, and even smartphones.

The Asus Tinkerboard is a direct alternative to the Raspberry Pi with a similar look.
You’ll get 4 USB ports, an RJ45 network port, Wi-Fi, HDMI, GPIO pins in a similar size format.

The Tinkerboard run with a better CPU (4x 1.8Ghz) and more RAM (2GB), but it’s also more expensive than the Raspberry Pi (check the price on Amazon).

So the main goal of this board is to improve the overall performance of the Raspberry Pi for apps that need more power. You could generally replace a Raspberry Pi with a Tinkerboard for many projects, but check the OS compatibility first. Tinkerboard is delivered with TinkerOS (a Debian-like distribution), but can also run RetroPie, Volumio or other distributions.

Orange Pi Prime

Okay, so they weren’t very inspired when coming up with the name, but the Orange Pi Prime is an interesting alternative to the Raspberry Pi.

For a similar price (check on Amazon), you’ll get similar specs to the Raspberry Pi 3: 4x 1.3Ghz, 1G RAM, 40 pins GPIO, HDMI, Ethernet, Wi-Fi.

So, why would you choose this over a Raspberry Pi?
There are very few differences so that it can be by philosophy (fully open source) or for specific needs. Orange Pi Prime seems to run better Android OS for example.

BeagleBoard x15

A last exciting alternative is the BeagleBoard x15. This device is the high end on this list. You’ll find anything you need already integrated when you buy it.

For example, this one has a built-in dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, a perfect thing to use as a small firewall.
You’ll also get audio in and out (that’s a big feature lacking on the Raspberry Pi) and an eSata port.

It’ll run most of the Linux distributions and also Android.
But the price is not the same. It’ll be close to 300$, the price of a small PC like an Intel NUC with Core i5, so I’m not sure it’s worth it unless you want an all-in-one product.

Closing Thoughts: The Final Choice

I hope you now better understand the differences and common points between Raspberry Pi and Arduino.

They could be used in similar projects, so we naturally compare them, but in fact, they’re not really the same thing: the Raspberry Pi is a small computer and the Arduino is a dumb controller.

So if you only need your single board to do one simple thing, an Arduino will often be enough, but if you need more complex behaviors with a brain, a Raspberry Pi will be the best choice.

And most of the time, Raspberry Pi can do the same thing than Arduino, so a safe option (and not so expensive, check on Amazon) will always be a Raspberry Pi 🙂

I also showed you that there are other alternatives. If you need something specific or complex, check out other manufacturers’ devices. For example, you could be able to avoid a lot of additional modules by directly ordering one with your specific hardware needs built-in.