Once the sole preserve of developers working on embedded systems for industrial use, SBCs have become go-to devices for everything from general-purpose computing as a low-power alternative to traditional PCs, makers’ electronics projects, home theater and media center setups, and even gaming gadgets.
The last few years saw a difficult time for the SBC market, with component shortages and supply chain disruption caused by the global pandemic and exacerbated by droughts, disasters, and war creating a difficult environment for the production and development of SBCs. Fortunately, the market appears to have mostly recovered from its difficulties, with the odd notable exception.
So, without the filter of availability (or lack thereof) deciding for us, we’re once again met with a wide variety of SBCs to choose from. Deciding which board is right for you can be difficult, but we’ve got you covered.
| Top Pick | Processor | Architecture | Memory | Market Price (approx., USD) | Check Price (Commission Earned) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget: Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W | Broadcom BCM2710A1 (BCM2837), (4× 1 GHz Arm Cortex-A53) | Armv8-A (64-bit) | 512 MB LPDDR2 | General-purpose powerhouse in compact form | $15 | |
| All-Rounder: Raspberry Pi 4 Model B | Broadcom BCM2711 (4× 1.5 GHz Arm Cortex-A72) | Armv8-A (64-bit) | 1- 8 GB LPDDR4 | The pefect blend of performance, compatibility, expandability, and price | From $35 | |
| Power: LattePanda 3 Delta 864 | Intel Celeron N5105 (4× 2GHz Celeron, 2.9GHz Boost), Microchip ATmega32U4 Coprocessor | Tremont x86-64 (64-bit) | 8 GB LPDDR4 | Fast and powerful Windows-compatible PC disguised as an SBC | $279 | |
| Machine Learning: BeagleBone AI-64 | Texas Instruments Jacinto TDA4VM (2× 2GHz Arm Cortex-A72, 3× Dual Arm Cortex-R5 Coprocessors, 1× C7x+MMA 8 TOPS Accelerator, 2× C66x DSP Coprocessors, 2× Six-Core Programmable Real-Time Units (PRUs)) | Armv8-A (64-bit) | 4 GB DDR4 | Versatility with the edge for computer vision and edge-AI applications | $185 | |
| Media Center: Odroid-N2+ 2GB | Amlogic S922X (4× 2.4 GHz Cortex-A73, 2× 2 GHz Cortex-A53) | Armv8-A (64-bit) | 2/8 GB DDR4 | Quiet media maestro with HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X passthrough | From $66 | |
| Gaming: Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 4 GB | Broadcom BCM2711 (4× 1.5 GHz Arm Cortex-A72) | Armv8-A (64-bit) | 4 GB LPDDR4 | Affordability with broad emulation and streaming support | $54 | |
| Making: PocketBeagle | Octavo Systems OSD3358 (1× 1GHz Arm Cortex-A8, 1× Arm Cortex-M3 Coprocessor, 2× Programmable Real-Time Units (PRUs)) | Armv7-A (32-bit) | 512 MB DDR3 | Powerful real-time computing for headless, embedded applications | $25 | |
How to Choose the Best Single-Board Computer
First, pick a use case. The best SBC for use as a desktop computer is unlikely to be the best for embedded development, while an SBC that offers strong multimedia features for home theater use might be unsuitable for gaming. The very best device in a particular field may be so specifically tailored to its workload that it’s all but useless for anything else. If you need a general-purpose input/output (GPIO) header, check that it’s included and offers the pin functionality you need for your external hardware.
Next, set a budget. In our guide, we try to select boards with the most bang for your buck, but be sure to check our suggested alternatives for a price that suits you better or a more robust feature set if you have the money to spare. Don’t forget the extras, either. Most SBCs are sold board-only, meaning you’ll also need a display, keyboard and mouse, power supply, and storage (like a microSD card) at a minimum.
Finally, have a browse around the web. The best hardware can be let down by poor or outdated software or a dead community, so visit manufacturer websites, third-party forums, and social media sites to see if the device you’re planning to buy has a lively and active community.
Best Single-Board Computers
Budget:
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
At $15, it’s true that the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W isn’t the cheapest single-board computer around: That title goes to its predecessor, the Raspberry Pi Zero, at just $10. The latest-generation ultra-compact single-board computer from Raspberry Pi easily justifies the extra cost, though, with the enhancements it brings to the table.
Instead of a single 32-bit processor core, it packs four 64-bit cores, which benefit from a newer and more performant architecture. As a result, your workloads will see a dramatic performance boost – up to around 12 times faster than the original Raspberry Pi Zero.
That performance boost makes the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W suitable for general-purpose desktop use in a way the original model couldn’t manage. At least, mostly: Having only 512MB of memory is, admittedly, limiting. If you’re hoping to browse the web, you’ll need to limit yourself to a single tab to keep things from ticking over.
Despite its small size and low cost, the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is a fully-fledged Raspberry Pi board. There’s a 40-pin general-purpose input/output (GPIO) header compatible with almost all the same Hardware Attached on Top (HAT) add-ons as the full-size Raspberry Pi models. The notable exception is Power over Ethernet (PoE) – the Zero family lacks wired Ethernet and instead relies on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connectivity to get online – something also missing from the original Raspberry Pi Zero. Be aware that the header is supplied unpopulated for you to solder pins into yourself; look for the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 WH variant, typically a few dollars more, if you want one with the header pre-soldered.
As with most SBCs, keep in mind the accessories you’ll need to pick up at the same time as the board itself: a display and keyboard, a mini-HDMI cable and a USB OTG adapter, a micro-USB power supply, and a microSD card, at a minimum.
Unfortunately, the Raspberry Pi Zero series appears to still be suffering from supply chain difficulties while most of the SBCs on this list have recovered. It may be hard to come by, especially at its regular $15 MSRP. For now, we suggest looking at our alternatives below.
Consider Also:
The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W doesn’t mean the original Raspberry Pi Zero is being discontinued. There’s still a lot of value in a functional single-board computer that retails for just $10, particularly for less-demanding workloads and embedded use. Nothing on the market touches the Raspberry Pi Zero for value, but it has its limitations. The single-core processor is weak, and there’s no onboard networking – the Raspberry Pi Zero W is the device you need for that. If you don’t need network connectivity, the Raspberry Pi Zero will get you up and running for the price of a large cup of coffee.
At more than twice the price of the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, the Pine64 Rock 64 does stretch the budget – but for a lot of use-cases, it’s well worth it. The processor uses the same Arm Cortex-A53 cores as the Zero 2 W, but running half as fast again – and with four times as much memory, performance is dramatically better. There’s no Wi-Fi on board the Rock64, but you do get a wired Ethernet port and three full-size USB ports, one of which offers high-speed USB 3.0 connectivity. There’s even an infrared receiver for media remotes and an onboard real-time clock.
All-Rounder:
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
There’s a reason Raspberry Pi is the go-to for single-board computer projects: the boards offer a great mix of performance, compatibility, expandability, and price. The Raspberry Pi 4 range, at the time of writing the newest of the full-size variants, is no exception.
Compared to earlier models, the Raspberry Pi 4 offers a dramatic improvement in performance. Some of that comes from the combination of new CPU and GPU, but a lot from the expanded memory. Where older versions were limited to 1GB, the Raspberry Pi 4 is available in 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, and 8 GB variants. Unless you know you’ll need more or are on a tight budget, the 4 GB — at $55 — should be considered the ideal entry point. Lower variants go down in price by $10 intervals, but the largest 8 GB version will run you $75.
The Raspberry Pi 4 benefits from the excellent ecosystem the company has developed over the years, boasting full software and hardware compatibility with earlier models. Its popularity also means plenty of support if you get stuck, with a broad and involved community behind the board.
The Raspberry Pi 4 isn’t the fastest SBC around, nor the most feature-packed, nor the cheapest, nor the smallest; it is, however, possibly the most well-balanced. There’s plenty of connectivity, including high-speed USB 3.0 ports, and the pricing is kept as low as possible. It’s a great choice for general-purpose computing, retro gaming, and more, and ideal for anyone just starting their SBC journey.
If you’re upgrading from an older Raspberry Pi, though, you’ll need to budget for a few extras: the Raspberry Pi 4 range made the move away from a single full-size HDMI port to a pair of micro-HDMI ports, providing dual-display capabilities, and from a 5V 2.5A micro-USB power supply to a 3A USB Type-C power supply.
Consider Also:
If your budget doesn’t stretch to a Raspberry Pi 4, even the entry-level 1GB model, the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is a strong alternative. Costing just $15, it offers compatibility with the same software and Hardware Attached on Top (HAT) add-on hardware at less than half the price of its full-sized equivalent. Its performance, however, is noticeably lower and, if you want to connect more than one USB device, you’ll need to add a powered USB hub.
At around $165, the LattePanda V1 (4 GB) is an expensive option, but absolutely packed with features. In addition to an Intel Atom processor, giving it high performance and Windows 10 compatibility, the board includes a Microchip ATmega32U4 coprocessor and six plug-and-play “Gravity” connectors for external sensors. If you need a balance of cost and power or want to stick with the familiar Windows ecosystem, the LattePanda V1 could well be worth the extra cash over devices like the Raspberry Pi 4.
Power:
LattePanda 3 Delta 864
The latest entry in the LattePanda family — available to buy following a highly successful crowdfunding campaign — the LattePanda 3 Delta is a fully functional miniature PC disguised as a single-board computer.
The Intel Celeron N5105 processor at the heart of the board offers high performance at a reasonably low power draw, though not so low that it doesn’t need the bundled fan to keep it cool. There’s broad operating system compatibility, including both Windows 10 and Windows 11, and a generous 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB of onboard storage.
Two M.2 slots provide high-speed storage expansion, while the B-Key slot supports 4G and 5G cellular modules if the on-board gigabit Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi 6 isn’t enough connectivity for you.
At its price, you’ll not find a faster single-board computer – but the third-generation LattePanda hasn’t forgotten its roots: Like its predecessors, the latest model includes a Microchip ATmega32U4 microcontroller as a coprocessor for real-time workloads. Conversely, the plug-and-play “Gravity” sensor connectors have been retired.
The LattePanda 3 Delta is powerful in both senses of the word and draws considerably more energy than most rival devices. In its defense, it comes bundled with an active cooling fan and a 45W USB Type-C Power Delivery adapter with EU and US cords. As a result, all you need to get started is a keyboard and display. Note that the base $279 price doesn’t include a copy of Windows, with a variant bundling a copy of Windows 10 Enterprise Edition available for $339.
Consider Also:
While it’s designed to mimic the rough layout of a Raspberry Pi, the Rock Pi 4 Model C+ is considerably more powerful. With a six-core CPU and a quad-core GPU, the latter offering a claimed four times the compute performance of “Competitor R” by Rock Pi’s own reckoning, the Rock Pi 4 Model C+ is fast; while an NMVe-compatible M.2 slot and eMMC socket provide high-speed storage expansion options. As with most SBCs, you’ll need to provide peripherals and a suitable power supply yourself.
The Udoo Bolt V8 is about as powerful a single-board computer as you’ll find without moving to specialist devices. Based on an embedded AMD Ryzen processor, it boasts four physical cores capable of running two threads each, plus a powerful Vega 8 GPU. Like the LattePanda family, there’s also a Microchip ATmega328U4 microcontroller as an onboard coprocessor for real-time workloads. The Bolt V8 isn’t a cheap purchase, however: at $550, it’s at the high end of hobbyist pricing and comes without RAM. There’s also no onboard Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, but these can be added using one of the two M.2 slots or a USB port.
Machine Learning:
BeagleBone AI-64
The follow-up to BeagleBoard.org’s BeagleBone AI, the BeagleBone AI-64 is a considerable upgrade. A move to the Texas Instruments Jacinto TDA4VM system-on-chip brings a much newer and more powerful CPU and GPU along with a range of accelerators and coprocessors designed to boost machine learning and real-time workloads.
It’s true that, with only two processor cores, the CPU side of the BeagleBone AI-64 can seem a little weak against its quad-core-and-greater competition – but for many machine learning workloads the CPU cores exist largely to feed the particular coprocessors better suited to the task, and it’s here the BeagleBone AI-64 offers a broad array of options.
Surprisingly compact for its specifications, the BeagleBone AI-64 is compatible with Cape add-ons designed for other boards in the BeagleBone family. There’s a Gigabit Ethernet port, but no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth – a shortcoming addressable by using the M.2 E-key slot on the underside of the board.
There’s an undeniable learning curve to the BeagleBone AI-64, even for those who have used other BeagleBoard.org SBCs in the past, despite it offering a quick-start out-of-the-box experience with a pre-loaded copy of Debian on its 16GB eMMC. It’s worth persevering, though: no other board in this price range offers the same mixture of general-purpose compute, graphics, machine learning, and real-time capabilities in a compact and relatively low-power design. With two camera inputs, it’s particularly well-suited to computer vision and edge-AI projects.
Consider Also:
The lowest-priced model in the Nvidia Jetson family, the Jetson Nano 2 GB isn’t a true single-board computer; rather, it’s a system-on-module (SOM) bundled with a carrier board to break out its edge connector to more easily-accessible full-size ports. With a fast quad-core processor and powerful GPU, it can handle a range of machine learning workloads. If you find the 2GB of RAM or overall performance becomes too limiting, it’s easy to transfer your project to one of the more powerful devices in the Jetson range.
Another system-on-module design, the Jetson AGX Orin is, at the time of writing, Nvidia’s most powerful Jetson. Boasting next-generation components including LPDDR5 memory and a 12-core Arm Cortex-A78E processor, it’s an absolute beast for machine-learning workloads – as the bundled 90W power supply suggests. You won’t find a better device for experimenting with high-performance embedded machine learning, but it comes at a high cost: the Jetson AGX Orin Developer’s Kit, which includes the SOM plus carrier board, heatsink and fan, radio module, and power supply, will set you back nearly $2,000.
Media Center:
Odroid-N2+ 2GB
Designed as a replacement for the since-discontinued Odroid-N2, the plus-suffixed model boasts a faster processor and slimmer heatsink while retaining all the features that made its predecessor so popular, including native support in the CoreELEC media center software.
Built with media playback in mind, the Odroid-N2+ includes HDR10 and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) support at 4K resolution, automatic frame rate switching and dynamic range matching, and audio passthrough for the most common digital audio formats – including both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. It’s passively cooled, too, so there’s no fan noise to detract from the audio – unless you choose to fit the optional cooling fan, which may be required in warmer climates.
The Odroid-N2+ doesn’t tick every box, though, and some of the design decisions are hard to defend.
There’s no optical or coaxial digital audio output for use with non-HDMI AV receivers, though an S/PDIF output can be added via a board connecting to the Raspberry Pi-style 40-pin GPIO header, and the default behavior of the board’s overly-bright blue status LED is to pulse in a distracting “heartbeat” pattern. Add in a generous four USB ports, albeit sharing a single root hub, and you have a device that is equally at home streaming media over the network or playing it back from local storage.
Consider Also:
The Raspberry Pi family has an interesting history when it comes to media work: the system-on-chip powering the original model was developed by Broadcom for use in multimedia set-top boxes, then repurposed by Raspberry Pi for hobbyist and educational computing. Hobbyists, though, quickly found the boards unsurprisingly well-suited for media work. Now they’re a common choice for home theater use. The low cost of the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 1GB make it a sound budget choice, but it comes without support for high dynamic range content – and while it can decode both H.264 and H.265 in hardware, only the latter supports 4K content with the former limited to 1080p Full HD.
You’d expect a media-focused single-board computer from the team behind the Kodi-powered Open Source Media Center (OSMC) to tick a lot of boxes, and that’s exactly what the Vero 4K+ delivers. Designed as a plug-and-play solution, the SBC comes packaged in an attractive housing and bundled with a Bluetooth remote. There’s support for HDR10 and HDR10+ content at 4K, dynamic refresh rate adjustment, and USB 2.0 ports for expansion. The design is five years old now, though, and its creators only committed to providing software updates for so long. Don’t expect any new updates to this device.
Gaming:
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B 4 GB
None of the boards in the Raspberry Pi family were ever built with gaming in mind, retro or otherwise, and yet they’ve become one of the most popular choices for low-power setups. And with good reason.
The uplift in processor performance and a more powerful GPU make the Raspberry Pi 4 range an obvious upgrade over earlier models. It also boasts broad support for a range of retro-gaming emulation software, including the popular RetroPie. There’s high enough performance to emulate devices from as far back as the Atari 2600 to the relatively modern Sega Dreamcast.
There are very few games that can run natively on the Raspberry Pi, especially compared to a mainstream desktop or laptop, but that doesn’t mean triple-A gaming is out of reach: older and less-demanding titles can be played through Box86, a compatibility layer that allows software written for x86 processor to run on the Raspberry Pi’s Arm cores. Additionally, Valve’s official Steam Link software allows you to stream games from a desktop or laptop. But you’ll need peripherals, a power supply, and a microSD card on top before you can start playing
Consider Also:
It’s true that there’s a real performance gap between the Raspberry Pi 4 range and the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, driven by both a weaker processor and its limited 512MB of memory. That’s not to say the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is slow, though: if you’re primarily interested in emulating game machines from the eight- and 16-bit eras, there’s plenty of power. It also works great with Valve’s Steam Link for streaming games from a more powerful machine elsewhere in your house.
Looking purely at its specifications, the MiSTer – a rebadged Terasic DE-10-Nano development board – seems ill-suited to gaming, with a slow and outdated CPU and no GPU at all. Look a little closer, though, and its secret is revealed: it’s a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) system, allowing emulation of retro gaming machines at a hardware level. Sadly, the DE-10-Nano at the heart of the project has been one of the devices worst hit by the ongoing component shortages in the electronics industry: while official resellers still list its retail price at $230, stock is non-existent, with hobbyist sites charging more than double as supplies dwindle.
Making:
PocketBeagle
A quick run-down of the specs sheet shows that the PocketBeagle is a poor choice for general-purpose computing. Its single-core processor is old and slow, its 512MB of memory limiting, and there’s no native video output, USB Host ports, or wired networking.
That’s simply because the PocketBeagle isn’t designed for general-purpose computing; it’s built with the maker in mind and boasts features that make it a great choice for a range of embedded computing workloads.
The board offers impressive real-time computing capabilities: alongside the single Arm Cortex-A8 CPU and PowerVR SGX GPU is an Arm Cortex-M3 microcontroller. There’s also a pair of Programmable Real-Time Units, or PRUs, powerful devices for time-sensitive microcontroller-style workloads.
The two 36-pin GPIO headers are provided unpopulated, so you’ll need to do a little soldering, but once fitted provide more connectivity for external hardware than other SBCs at this price point.
The PocketBeagle is also one of the few devices that needs no peripherals, nor even its own power supply: insert a microSD card (not included) and connect the board to a desktop or laptop via micro-USB cable, and it appears as a local network device, allowing you to connect to its embedded Linux distribution for programming and experimentation.
If you find yourself outgrowing the PocketBeagle, it’s a smooth transition to the more powerful devices in the family – including the BeagleBone Black and the newest BeagleBone AI-64 with its powerful machine learning acceleration capabilities.
Unfortunately, the PocketBeagle continues to be affected by supply chain shortages while most of the SBCs on this list have recovered; you may have difficulty finding one at its $25 MSRP. BeagleBoard has confirmed supply difficulties and said that it’s working on a new version without a SIP to avoid supply difficulties. For now, we suggest looking at our alternatives below.
Consider Also:
The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is something of a jack-of-all-trades and, while it can’t touch the PocketBeagle on real-time capabilities, it offers dramatically improved general-purpose compute performance at around a third the price. The unpopulated GPIO header includes the most common bus types but lacks native analog input capabilities – you may find yourself reaching for add-on hardware sooner than with more expensive alternative SBCs.
The Vim 4, Khadas’ latest board design, is one of the most powerful maker-focused Arm boards around. Between its eight-core processor, generous 8GB of RAM, and its integrated STM32 microcontroller coprocessor, the board is ideal for makers who need to combine performance with real-time capabilities. This feature-packed SBC even offers a few bonus features not commonly seen elsewhere in the market, including an HDMI input for video capture, stereo digital microphones, and a “G-sensor” accelerometer.
Best Microcontrollers / Arduino
Microcontrollers are often confused with single-board computers and vice versa. While there are similarities, you can simplify the difference between the two: a microcontroller is an integrated circuit that can be programmed to perform a few simple tasks, while a single-board computer is — as the name suggests — a complete computer crammed onto a single-circuit board.
The core difference is that a microcontroller can perform limited tasks by design, whereas a single-board computer has all the workings to perform complex computing tasks. This can be in tandem with attached peripherals or even paired with microcontrollers. Some single-board computers come with microcontrollers embedded within them, even.
As such, we have a few explainers going into more detail about the purpose and uses of microcontrollers, including the popular Arduino brand controllers and Raspberry Pi’s newer Pico series of boards.
What's Changed?
We like to change the format of our buyer’s guides from time to time, not to mention our recommendations. Here’s what’s changed recently.
Update – September xx, 2023: Fortunately, supply chain shortages in SBCs appear to have (mostly) resolved, with the notable exception of smaller boards like the Raspberry Pi Zero series and the PocketBeagle. Little has changed, other than the odd minute price adjustment.
Update – March 2, 2023: We’ve checked the availability and pricing of our recommendations. Unfortunately, prices have not particularly gone down recently, and some of the listed SBCs have close to doubled in price. We’ve decided to stick with MSRP, since there’s some suggestion prices will correct shortly — and trying to keep up with fluctuating market prices has proven difficult.
Update – August 29, 2022: Complete overhaul as we update this guide to our new three-pick recommendation system. For every category of single-board computer (all-rounder, budget, machine learning, and so on,) we have a top pick, budget pick, and upgrade pick. Three solid options to suit your budget and needs.
License: The text of "The Best Single-Board Computers of 2023" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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