Raspberry Pi vs Arduino

Both being small, tehnological devices, favoured by those who like to get into their devices, customising them, changing them and seeing exactly what they’re capable of doing, both the Raspberry Pi and Arduino are often compared to each other. However, despite how it looks on the face of it, these devices are actually quite different, and today we’re going to look at just how they differ and compare to each other. If you’ve ever wondered which would be better out of the Raspberry Pi and the Arduino, then you’re about to have your questions answered.

Raspberry Pi vs Arduino

Let’s start by talking a little bit about what both of these devices are. The Raspberry Pi is an entire computing device in itself; capable of doing the majority of tasks that your regular desktop, or laptop, computer can do – albeit probably with a different operating system. Arduino, on the other hand, is merely a micro-controller, making it only a component of a computer, and not a whole computer in and of itself. This is the main point that people tend to overlook when comparing the products. In reality, they really are not the same thing at all.

So, what do these little devices actually do?

Arduino

In short, Arduino is part of an overall computer. As a microcontroller, it contains certain elements that you need to make an overall computer work, but it isn’t a standalone device. Used by programmers and developers to help create and test their projects, Arduino can be incorporated into an overall device.

If you’re looking for an affordable element to a computer that you want to customise and test new projects on, especially if you’re just starting out and don’t want to invest too much money into it, then Arduino is a great little option. It’s more affordable than the Raspberry Pi, and easy accessible online.

Raspberry Pi

Unlike Arduino, you need very little extra in order to make Raspberry Pi work. It has all the elements it needs to work on its own with the simple addition of a Micro SD card to mount your operating system on, and to save any data. If you opt for the Pi3, you’ve got built in WiFi and Bluetooth as added features!

Similarly to Arduino, however, Pi is often used by programmers and developers to test and create projects, however it needs no additional hardware to work. Pi is slightly more expensive than Arduino, although not by much, coming in at around $50/£50 for an entire starter kit, and 30 for the board itself.

Depending on what you’re looking for, both are brilliant options, and incredibly affordable.

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