> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://itsfoss.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Tiny Yet Useful: 14 Raspberry Pi Zero Alternatives That Cost Less Than $20
- URL: https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-zero-alternatives/
- Published: 2020-07-21T08:04:35.000Z
- Updated: 2024-02-08T07:36:07.000Z
- Description: Perfect little Raspberry Pi Zero alternatives. Explore them here!
- Author: Chinmay
- Tags: Raspberry Pi

The [Raspberry Pi Zero](https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-zero/?ref=itsfoss.com) and the [Raspberry Pi Zero W](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-zero-w/) were added to the line-up of Raspberry Pi’s a while back. These ultra-small form-factor SBC’s have been a big hit and continue to be a part of [Raspberry Pi projects](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-projects/) from the maker and DIY communities.

Due to the smaller form factor and the prices these boards are targeting, they have had to cut down on many features like a dedicated Ethernet port, slower processor (compared to their full-fledged cousins).

However, you can still build [some really cool projects](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-zero-projects/) with tiny Raspberry Pi Zero W like devices.

In an earlier article, we listed the [best alternatives to Raspberry Pi](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-alternatives/). In this one, I’ll list some alternatives to Raspberry Pi Zero and Zero W. These should be the perfect tiny single board computers for IoT and embedded systems.

**Suggested Read 📖**

[27 Super Cool Raspberry Pi Zero W Projects for DIY EnthusiastsThe small form factor of the Raspberry Pi Zero W enables a new range of projects. In fact, a lot of people use the Pi Zero in the final version of the project after prototyping on a different full-sized Pi board. And, that’s because it consumes much less power![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/12/android-chrome-192x192.png)It's FOSSChinmay![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/10/raspberry-pi-zero-w-projects.png)](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-zero-projects/)

## Why Do We Need Raspberry Pi Zero Alternatives?

![Raspberry Pi Zero Alterantives](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/raspberry-pi-zero-alterantives.png)

Even though the **Raspberry Pi Zero was released at $5** and the **Zero W at $10**, it’s often **very challenging to find them at those prices** even in the US. Outside the US, they usually cost around $12 – $20.

Whether Raspberry Pi releases a successor to it when you read it (or discontinues the Zero), you will always find the replacements handy.

Sure, Raspberry Pi boards are considered as the de-facto standard. But, you might find the alternatives offering something better for your use-case. 

While most of the board run a type of embedded Linux distro, you should be able to try other operating systems tailored for 

Let's get started!

📋

Every board may not be available exactly under $20\. It depends on the specification you purchase, availability, and region pricing.

## 1\. Banana Pi BPI M2 Zero

![Banana Pi Zero 1](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/banana-pi-zero-1.png)

The Banana Pi M2 Zero, at **$18,** has the same layout as a Raspberry Pi Zero W. It looks like a clone of the Pi Zero W, but apart from the form factor, it is anything but a clone. 

It has a faster **Allwinner H2+ SOC** at its heart, and Ethernet can be added externally. It can also run a variety of Linux based operating systems.

**Key Specifications**

- Allwinner H2+ Quad-core Cortex-A7 H265/HEVC 1080P with Mali400MP2 for the GPU.
- 512 MB DDR3 (Shared with GPU).
- 40 Pins Header, compatible with Raspberry Pi 3.
- Wi-Fi (AP6212) & Bluetooth onboard. Extra antenna connector.
- A CSI input connector Camera.
- Power and Reset Button.
- Mini HDMI Output.

You can get more information from the [Banana Pi Wiki](http://wiki.banana-pi.org/Banana%5FPi%5FBPI-M2%5FZERO?ref=itsfoss.com#Hardware%5Finterfaces).

## 2\. Banana Pi BPI-M2 Magic (BPi-M2M)

![Banana Pi M2m board](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/Banana-Pi-M2M-2-1.jpg)

There are two variants of this board, the one **without the eMMC flash onboard** costs **$20**. It is another tiny SBC with quite a lot of processing power for its size. 

Off the top of my head, this board is a good fit for a touch control panel and dashboard for IoT and home automation. The on-board battery management system is quite attractive.

**Key Specifications**

- Allwinner A33/R16 Quad Core ARM Cortex-A7, MALI 400 MP2 GPU.
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz (AP6212) & BT v4.0 with BLE.
- 512 MB DDR3 (shared with GPU).
- MIPI Display Serial Interface (DSI) interface(4 data lanes).
- A CSI input connector Camera, video capture up-to 1080p at 30fps.
- Onboard microphone and battery management.
- No HDMI output.

You can get more information from the [Banana Pi Wiki](http://wiki.banana-pi.org/Banana%5FPi%5FBPI-M2M?ref=itsfoss.com).

## 3\. Banana Pi BPI-P2 Maker

![Banana Pi P2 Zero ](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/Banana-Pi-P2-Zero-1.png)

This board, at **$13** (**$19** with POE module) is one of the smallest SBC’s with on board Ethernet and support for PoE (Power over Ethernet). With the same **Allwinner H2+ SOC** as the M2 zero, this is quite an interesting board. 

It has an onboard eMMC storage of 8Gb and a camera interface, **with PoE you can convert this into a DIY security camera** and also use the powerful processor for basic ML.

**Key Specifications**

- Allwinner H2+, Quad-core Cortex-A7.
- 512 MB DDR 3 SDRAM.
- Wi-Fi (AP6212) & Bluetooth onboard.
- 8 GB eMMC flash onboard.
- Mini HDMI.
- CSI Camera Interface.
- IEEE 802.3af PoE standard PoE module support.

You can get more information from the [Banana Pi Wiki](http://wiki.banana-pi.org/Banana%5FPi%5FBPI-P2%5FZero?ref=itsfoss.com).

## 4\. Orange Pi Zero LTS

![Orange Pi Zero Lts](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/Orange-Pi-Zero-LTS.png)

At **$32.99** (**$9.49** for the 256 MB version) this is the smallest board with onboard Ethernet and POE functionality. It has the ever common **Allwinner H2+ at its heart** and a solid expansion options via the GPIO and the 13 pin functional header.

**Key Specifications**

- Allwinner H2+ Quad-core Cortex-A7 H.265/HEVC 1080P.
- Mali400MP2 GPU @600MHz.
- 256 MB/512 MB DDR3 SDRAM (Shared with GPU) (256 MB version is Standard version).
- 10/100M Ethernet RJ45, POE is default off.
- Wi-Fi with XR819, IEEE 802.11 b/g/n.
- 26 Pin GPIO Header.
- 13 Pins Header, with 2x USB, IR pin, AUDIO(MIC, AV).

You can get more information from their [official page](http://www.orangepi.org/html/hardWare/computerAndMicrocontrollers/details/Orange-Pi-Zero-LTS.html?ref=itsfoss.com).

## 5\. Orange Pi i96

![Orange Pi I96](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/Orange-Pi-i96.png)

At **$8.8** this board is the smallest one yet at 6 cm x 3 cm. It uses the [RDA8810PL SOC](https://www.openhacks.com/uploadsproductos/2016030304473558.pdf?ref=itsfoss.com) meant for a fairly advanced feature phone. 

The board is **suited for camera applications** (according to the manufacturer) **can capture up to 1080p at 30fps**. It has a fairly good IO for the price.

**Key Specifications**

- RDA8810PL ARM Cortex-A5 32bit single core processor.
- Vivante’s GC860 GPU.
- Integrated 256 MB LPDDR2 SDRAM.
- Wi-Fi + BT using the RDA5991.
- CSI Camera Input.
- 40 pin GPIO header.

You can get more information from their [official page](http://www.orangepi.org/html/hardWare/computerAndMicrocontrollers/details/Orange-Pi-I96.html?ref=itsfoss.com).

## 6\. Orange Pi PC

![Orange Pi PC](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/opipc.png)

This board packs in lots of goodies for **$15**. It’s one of the very few boards which offer 1 GB of RAM at such a price point. It uses the **Allwinner H3 SOC** and **can decode 4K HEVC/H.265 video**. 

Furthermore, it has an **HDMI port with support for HDCP and CEC** as well. This SBC can make a good media box with the right software. It even has **an onboard IR Receiver** and a Microphone.

**Key Specifications**

- Allwinner H3 Quad-core Cortex-A7, 1.6GHz.
- 1 GB DDR3 (shared with GPU).
- HDMI with support for 4K video.
- CSI Camera interface and onboard microphone.
- SD Card slot.

There is also a cut down version of the Orange Pi PC powered by the same SOC but with less RAM.

You can get additional information from their [official page](http://www.orangepi.org/html/hardWare/computerAndMicrocontrollers/details/Orange-Pi-PC.html?ref=itsfoss.com).

## 7\. Orange Pi One & Orange Pi Lite

These two boards are also **powered by the Allwinner H3 SoC** used in the Orange Pi PC. But these come with 512 MB of RAM instead of the 1 GB offered by the Orange Pi PC.

**Key Specifications**

- Allwinner H3 Quad Core.
- HDMI with 4K support.
- SD Card slot.
- 512 MB of DDR3 RAM.
- CSI Camera Interface.

![Orange Pi Lite](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/Orange-Pi-Lite.png)

Orange Pi Lite / Orange Pi One

The **Orange Pi Lite** comes in at **$12**, it does not feature an on-board Ethernet and offers Wi-Fi instead. It also has an onboard microphone and IR receiver. You can get more info from their [official page](http://www.orangepi.org/html/hardWare/computerAndMicrocontrollers/details/Orange-Pi-Lite.html?ref=itsfoss.com).

The **Orange Pi One** comes in at **$11** and features on-board Ethernet for wired networking and **does not offer any Wi-Fi support**. You can get further information from their [official page](http://www.orangepi.org/html/hardWare/computerAndMicrocontrollers/details/Orange-Pi-One.html?ref=itsfoss.com).

## 8\. Orange Pi Zero3

![Orange Pi Zero3](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/12/Orange_Pi_Zero3.png)

Powered by an **Allwinner H618 processor**, the Orange Pi Zero3 is a powerful offering for video processing use cases that **can also act as a TV box** with the right software.

The on-board ARM Mali-G31 MP2 GPU opens the door for support such as **4K display output**, **OpenGL ES 1.0/2.0/3.2**, **Vulkan 1.1**, **OpenCL 2.0 and more**.

**Key Specifications**

- Allwinner H618 Quad-Core Cortex-A53
- 1 GB/1.5 GB/2 GB/4 GB LPDDR4 RAM
- Gigabit Ethernet Port
- Type-C Power Supply
- Wi-Fi 5 + Bluetooth 5.0

You can grab Orange Pi Zero3 for as low as **$22.99** on Amazon for the 1 GB variant. You can also visit the [official website](http://www.orangepi.org/html/hardWare/computerAndMicrocontrollers/details/Orange-Pi-Zero-3.html?ref=itsfoss.com) for more details.

Before we finish up with the Orange Pi boards, I do want to quickly mention a couple more boards that they offer for custom applications.

- **Orange Pi R1** – This is a tiny board with dual Ethernet ports, you can use it to build a network device.
- **Orange Pi 2G IOT & Orange Pi 3G IOT –** These boards feature 2G & 3G cellular connectivity for IoT Applications.

These boards also cost less than **$20**, and you can check them out on their [official website](http://www.orangepi.org/?ref=itsfoss.com).

## 9\. NanoPi Neo LTS

![Nano Pi Neo LTS](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/NanoPi-NEO_04-900x630-1.jpg)

Starting at **$9**.**99**, this board is very simple and tiny(4 cm x 4 cm), a similar form factor as the Orange Pi Zero. Unlike the Orange Pi Zero, it is **powered by the more powerful Allwinner H3 SoC** and up to 512 MB of RAM.

It **does not feature any onboard Wi-Fi/BT chipset**, but you can add one via the USB port. This is **a really good board to run headless Linux servers** and DNS filters like Pi-Hole.

It’ll make a r**eally good edge device for any IoT Applications**. Using the GPIO you can expand the functionality to match your needs.

**Key Specifications**

- Allwinner H3 Quad Core Cortex A7 up to 1.2GHz.
- Up to 512 MB of RAM.
- Micro SD slot (up to 128 GB).
- 10/100 Ethernet.
- Additional interfaces via the abundant GPIO.

You can get further information and also purchase them from their [official page](https://www.friendlyelec.com/index.php?route=product/product&product%5Fid=132&ref=itsfoss.com).

![NanoPi NEO Core LTS](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/Core_04-900x630-1.jpg)

There is **a bare-bones version of the NanoPi NEO** called the **NanoPi NEO Core-LTS**, which **adds eMMC for industrial applications** and let's go of the onboard USB and Ethernet ports. All features are available via the GPIO expansion. 

You can check it out on the [official page](https://www.friendlyelec.com/index.php?route=product/product&product%5Fid=212&ref=itsfoss.com).

![NanoPi NEO Air](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/air_03-900x630-1.jpg)

There is also **a Wi-Fi/BT version of the NanoPi NEO** called the **NanoPi NEO Air** which also adds eMMC and camera input while letting go of the onboard USB and Ethernet ports. 

You can check it out on the [official page](https://www.friendlyelec.com/index.php?route=product/product&product%5Fid=151&ref=itsfoss.com).

## 10\. Zero Pi

![Zero Pi](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/ZeroPi_03-900x630-1.jpg)

This is one of my favorite boards from this round up, it costs **$9.99** and has **a fast 1Gbps Ethernet onboard**. With the **Allwinner H3 at its heart**, this can be a very powerful and tiny machine on your network. 

It **supports** [**OpenWRT**](https://openwrt.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), which is great considering the 1Gbps Ethernet. You can easily run multiple instances of Pi-Hole along with a DNS Server.

**Key Specifications**

- Allwinner H3 Quad Core Cortex A7 at up to 1.2GHz.
- 512 MB of RAM.
- USB 2.0 Port.
- Support for OpenWRT.

You can get more information and also purchase them from their [official page](https://www.friendlyelec.com/index.php?route=product/product&product%5Fid=266&ref=itsfoss.com).

## 11\. NanoPi NEO 2

![NanoPi NEO 2](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/NEO2_04-900x630-1.jpg)

At **$19.99**, the **NanoPi NEO 2 costs twice the NEO**. It retains the same form factor and brings in the **Allwinner H5 SoC** and **1Gbps Ethernet**. This makes the board **a tiny power house**.

**Key Specifications**

- Allwinner H5, Quad-core 64-bit high-performance Cortex A53.
- Hexa Core Mali450 GPU.
- 512 MB RAM.
- 1Gbps onboard Ethernet.
- 24 pin GPIO.
- Functional headers for Audio and other interfaces like IR.

You can get more information and also purchase them from their [official page](https://wiki.friendlyelec.com/wiki/index.php/NanoPi%5FNEO2?ref=itsfoss.com).

That’s about all the boards in the NanoPi series, they also have a few more interesting boards with dual 1Gbps ports and a couple focused around camera applications.

## 12\. La Frite (AML-S805X-AC)

![a screenshot of la frite aml-S805x-ac](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/11/LaFrite.png)

From the makers of [Le Potato](https://libre.computer/products/aml-s905x-cc/?ref=itsfoss.com), this board at **$20** is **mainly geared towards applications involving media consumption or media streaming**. It **supports 1080p video playback** with HDR metadata via the HDMI 2.0 port. It supports the latest Android 9/TV, upstream Linux, u-boot, Kodi, and more.

**Key Specifications**

- Amlogic S805X SoC, Quad Core Cortex-A53 @ 1.2GHz.
- Up to 1 GB DDR4 SDRAM.
- Amlogic Video Engine 10, support for H.264,H.265, and VP9 decoding up to 1080p 60fps.
- 100 Mbps Ethernet.
- IR Receiver.
- 40 pin GPIO.

You can get more information from their [official page](https://libre.computer/products/aml-s805x-ac/?ref=itsfoss.com).

## 13\. Onion Omega2+

![Onion Omega 2+](https://onion.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/OM-O2P.jpg)

If you’re looking for an IoT application, the **Onion Omega 2+ can be a good alternative to the Raspberry Pi Zero**. It is **an IoT-centric development platform** and runs on [LEDE](https://lede.readthedocs.io/en/latest/?ref=itsfoss.com) (Linux Embedded Development Environment) Linux OS – a distribution based on [OpenWRT](https://openwrt.org/?ref=itsfoss.com).

**Key Specifications**

- MT7688 SoC
- 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
- 128 MB DDR2 RAM
- 32 MB on-board flash storage
- MicroSD slot
- USB 2.0
- 12 GPIO pins

You can pick one up as a bare-bones module or various kits from their [website](https://onion.io/omega2s/?ref=itsfoss.com).

## 14\. VoCore2

![Vocore2](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/07/VoCore2-800x355.png)

The VoCore2 is definitely the smallest of the bunch, **the bare-bones module is only 1″ x 1″ in size** and costs **$17.99**. The **tiny size makes it easy to embed in different application**s and **allows selective expansion of features based on the need**. 

It is **powered by a** **MediaTek MT7628** chip, which was specially designed for low to mid-range routers. The manufacturer claims that they’ll keep up the production until 2025, which is really good.

**Key Specifications**

- MediaTek MT7628, 580 MHz, MIPS 24K.
- 128 MB RAM, DDR2 166MHz.
- Ethernet – 1-5 ports, up to 100Mbps.
- Wireless – 802.11n, 2T2R, speeds up to 300Mbps.
- Storage – 16 MB NOR on board, supports SDXC up to 2 TB.
- 1x on-board U.FL slot (Antenna Connector).

You can get further details about the board on the [product page](https://vocore.io/v2.html?ref=itsfoss.com) and pick one up from their [official website](https://vocore.io/?ref=itsfoss.com).

**Suggested Read 📖**

[Top 21 Raspberry Pi OS for Various Purposes \[2024\]Power up your Raspberry Pi with a versatile operating system that serves your purpose.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/12/android-chrome-192x192.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/01/operating-systems-for-rasberrypi.png)](https://itsfoss.com/raspberry-pi-os/)

## **W**r**apping up**

It’s undeniable that there are all kinds of SBC’s available in various form factors and feature sets for a wide variety of use cases. 

Moreover, most of these are open-source designs, running on open-source software. An absolute wonderland for a hardcore tinkerer.

*💬 If you guys know of any other interesting alternatives for the Raspberry Pi Zero and Zero W, put them in the comments below!*