Alternatives to Raspberry Pi in the 2022 Shortage

Due to the shortage, we’ll talk about the single-board computers that we think are the best Raspberry Pi alternatives. Raspberry Pi is the most popular single-board computer right now.

You can use it for your DIY projects or you can even install it to stream media at your convenience. However, there is a shortage of Raspberry Pi in the market in 2022. Whatever the case, we need Raspberry Pi alternatives for a variety of reasons, you can do a lot of things with the Raspberry Pi, but it’s not the ultimate solution for every kind of tinkerer.

Table of Contents

• What is RaspberryPi? 
• RaspberryPi Alternatives:

1. NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit
2. Arduino Mega 2560
3. Odroid-XU4
4. VIM2 SBC by Khadas
5. Helios64 by Kobol
6. PocketBeagle
7. ASUS Tinker Board S
8. ClockworkPi
9. Conclusion

What is RaspberryPi? A pastry?

It uses what’s called a couple of chips that integrate the CPU and GPU in a single integrated circuit, with the RAM, USB ports, and other components soldered onto the board for an all-in-one package. However, in 2022, it is harder to get this little board than gold so we hope this article help Makers out there.

RaspBerry Pi Alternatives

Here are some alternative Raspberry Pi options: 

1. NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit [Specially designed for AI projects!]

This is a very unique and interesting Raspberry Pi alternative from NVIDIA. Yes, it’s not something that everyone can make use of – but it’s great for a specific group of tinkerers and developers.

Key Specifications

• CPU: Quad-core ARM A57 @ 1.43 GHz
• GPU: 128-core Maxwell
• RAM: 4 GB 64-bit LPDDR4 25.6 GB/s
• Display: HDMI 2.0
• 4 x USB 3.0 and eDP 1.4

2. Arduino Compatible Mega 2560 R3 Plus

If you’re into robotic projects or you want something for a 3D printer, the Arduino Mega 2560 will be a handy replacement for the Raspberry Pi. Unlike Raspberry Pi, it’s based on a microcontroller, not a microprocessor.

• Microcontroller: ATmega2560
• Clock speed: 16 MHz
• Digital I/O pins: 54
• Analog input pins: 16
• Flash memory: 256 KB of which 8 KB used by bootloader

Learn more about Arduino vs Raspberry Pi

3. Odroid-XU4

Odroid-XU4 is the perfect alternative to Raspberry Pi if you have room to spend a little more ($80-$100 or sometimes less, depending on the store/availability).

Key Specifications

• Samsung Exynos 5422 Octa ARM Cortex™-A15 Quad 2Ghz and Cortex™-A7 Quad 1.3GHz CPUs
• 2 GB LPDDR3 RAM
• GPU: Mali-T628 MP6
• USB 3.0
• HDMI 1.4a
• eMMC 5.0 module socket
• MicroSD card slot

4. VIM2 SBC by Khadas

VIM 2 by Khadas is one of the latest SBCs that you can grab with Bluetooth 5.0 on board. It starts from $99 (the basic model) and goes up to $140.

The basic model includes 2 GB of RAM, a 16 GB eMMC, and Bluetooth 4.1. However, the Pro/Max versions include Bluetooth 5.0, more memory, and more eMMC storage.

Key Specifications

• Amlogic S912 1.5GHz 64-bit Octa-Core CPU
• T820MP3 GPU
• Up to 3 GB DDR4 RAM
• Up to 64 GB eMMC
• Bluetooth 5.0 (Pro/Max)
• Bluetooth 4.1 (Basic)
• HDMI 2.0a
• WiFi

5. Helios64 by Kobol

Helios64 was scheduled to be commercially available in January 2020. You can start pre-ordering it according to their official announcement post.

If you’re keeping an eye out for a board fit for making a NAS server, this should be very good – although we haven’t tried it personally. You can give it a try if it looks interesting enough.

You can opt for either just the board or the total bundle including the case. Do note that this board is on the expensive side – so it may not necessarily be a good Raspberry Pi alternative for everyone. The board alone will cost you $189 if you pre-order it (including the heatsink).

Key Specifications

• ARM 64-bit Hexacore SoC RK3399(K) (2x Cortex A-72 and 4x Cortex-A53)
• LPDDR4 – 4GB
• eMMC 5.1 – 16GB
• 5x SATA 3.0
• M.2 SATA slot (shared with one SATA 3.0)
• 2.5 Gbe Ethernet
• 1 GB Ethernet
• USB Type-C (DP and DAS mode)
• 3x USB3.0
• microSD
• On-board HDD power
• Built-in UPS (battery in option)
• Dual DC input
• Rich IO interfaces (i2c, spi, uart, gpio and more…)
• 2x PWM fan
• Nano-ITX form factor (120 x 120mm)

6. PocketBeagle

PocketBeagle is an incredibly small SBC – quite similar to the Raspberry Pi Zero. However, it costs the same as a full-sized Raspberry Pi 3 model. The main highlight here is that you can use it as a USB key-fob and then access the Linux terminal to work on it.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Octavo Systems OSD3358 1GHz ARM® Cortex-A8
• RAM: 512 MB DDR3
• 72 expansion pin headers
• microUSB
• USB 2.0

7. ASUS Tinker Board S

ASUS Tinker Board S isn’t the most affordable Raspberry Pi alternative at $82 Amazon, but it is a powerful one. It features the same 40-pin connector that you’d normally find in the standard Raspberry Pi 3 Model but offers a powerful processor and a GPU. Also, the size of the Tinker Board S is exactly the same as a standard Raspberry Pi. 

Key Specifications

• Rockchip Quad-Core RK3288 processor
• 2 GB DDR3 RAM
• Integrated graphics processor
• ARM® Mali™-T764 GPU
• 16 GB eMMC
• MicroSD card slot
• 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth V4.0 + EDR
• USB 2.0
• 28 GPIO pins
• HDMI interface

8. ClockworkPi

ClockworkPi is usually a part of the GameShell Kit if you’re looking to assemble a modular retro gaming console. However, you can purchase the board separately for $49.

Its compact size, WiFi connectivity, and the presence of a micro HDMI port make it a great choice for a lot of things.

Key Specifications

• Allwinner R16-J Quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU @1.2GHz
• Mali-400 MP2 GPU
• RAM: 1GB DDR3
• WiFi & Bluetooth v4.0
• Micro HDMI output
• MicroSD card slot

Conclusion

In the end, the Raspberry Pi is a small computer that can do lots of things, you plug it into a monitor and attach a keyboard and mouse. That could be the reason why there is a Pi shortage, we hope this article would help you find the alternative for your project. If you are looking for a project idea, you can read Top 5 Raspberry Pi Project 2021.