Arduino vs Raspberry Pi

The gateway drug to hardware hacking meets the ultimate tinkerer's toy. Here's our take.

Arduino

Nice Pick

The gateway drug to hardware hacking. Simple enough for beginners, yet powerful enough to make you think you're an engineer.

Pros

• Beginner-friendly IDE with built-in libraries for common tasks
• Vast ecosystem of shields and sensors for rapid prototyping
• Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• Active community with tons of tutorials and examples

Cons

• Limited debugging tools in the default IDE
• Can feel restrictive for advanced users due to simplified abstractions

Raspberry Pi

The ultimate tinkerer's toy. It's a full computer that fits in your pocket, but good luck not burning out a GPIO pin.

Pros

• Dirt cheap for a functional Linux computer
• GPIO pins make hardware hacking accessible
• Massive community and endless project tutorials
• Runs headless for IoT without breaking the bank

Cons

• Power management is a constant headache
• Performance bottlenecks for anything beyond basic tasks
• SD card corruption will haunt your dreams

The Verdict

Use Arduino if: You want beginner-friendly ide with built-in libraries for common tasks and can live with limited debugging tools in the default ide.

Use Raspberry Pi if: You prioritize dirt cheap for a functional linux computer over what Arduino offers.

The Bottom Line

Arduino wins

The gateway drug to hardware hacking. Simple enough for beginners, yet powerful enough to make you think you're an engineer.