Arduino Vs. Raspberry Pi - What is the difference?

This article will give you all the necessary information about the significant difference between Raspberry Pi and Arduino Uno board.

Also, It will help you to select the correct board for your next project.

You will learn about the hardware and software differences between the Arduino and Raspberry Pi and what situations you should choose to use each one.

Supplies

Hardware components

Arduino Uno Rev3	Amazon
Arduino Mega (Optional)	Amazon
Raspberry Pi 4	Amazon
Raspberry Pi 3	Amazon
USB cable type A/B	Amazon
Raspberry Pi Adapter	Amazon

Software

Arduino IDE

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What is Arduino?

Arduino is a low-cost, open-source hardware and software platform with one of the largest communities in the world, famous for electronics embedded and IoT system design.

Arduino boards can read data from various electronic sensors such as distance sensors, temperature & humidity sensors, etc., and process the data.

Arduino boards also control the different actuators like motor, solenoid, etc. Also, you can use various displays to show the outputs.

To program the Arduino boards, you can use easy-to-use Arduino software (IDE).

You can refer to the Arduino Uno Schematic diagram for details of components present on the Arduino Uno board.

The pin diagram of Arduino Uno is depicted below.

You can get more about the details of Arduino Uno; refer to the Arduino Uno datasheet.

–> Check out our guide to the Top 12 Best Arduino Online Courses

What is Raspberry Pi?

Raspberry Pi is a compact single-board computer capable of performing various tasks for embedded, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence systems.

With Raspberry Pi, you need to connect Monitor, Keyboard, and Mouse to do everything that a computer can do.

Raspberry Pi runs on various operating systems, and it has its Linux-based operating system named Raspberry Pi OS.

You can use Raspberry Pi for various electronics projects, such as weather monitoring systems to tweeting birdhouses with infra-red cameras.

You can refer to the Raspberry Pi Schematic diagram for more details about the components present on the Raspberry Pi board.

The pin diagram of Raspberry Pi is depicted below.

You can get more details about Raspberry Pi 4 by referring to the Raspberry Pi 4 datasheet.

Specification of Raspberry Pi and Arduino Boards

Function	Arduino Uno	Arduino Mega	Raspberry Pi 3	Raspberry Pi 4
Processing Unit	ATmega328P microprocessor	ATmega2560 microprocessor	Broadcom BCM2837B0 SoC	Broadcom BCM2711 SoC
CPU Architecture	8 bits	8 bits	Cortex-A53 64-bit	Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit
Hardware Structure	Simple	Simple	Complex	Complex
Clock frequency	16 MHz	16 MHz	Up to 1.4 GHz	Up to 1.5 GHz
Power	6 – 20V via DC input	5V	5V 3A	5V 3A
RAM	2KB (SRAM)	8KB (SRAM)	1 GB DDR2	1 GB, 2 GB, 4GB, 8GB LPDDR4(depending on model)
Memory	32 KB (Flash Memory)	256 KB (Flash Memory)	Supports up to 32GB or more. (External SD card)	Supports up to 128GB or more. (External SD card)
GPIO	14	54	48	40
UART	1	4	2	6
SPI	1	1	2	5
I2C	1	1	2	6
PWM Pins	6	15	4	4
Analog Pins	6	16	NA	NA
USB connectivity	Standard A/B USB	Standard A/B USB	In-Built OTG Port for USB device support like keyboard, Mouse, etc.	In-Built OTG Port for USB device support like keyboard, Mouse, etc.
Wireless connectivity	Arduino Uno does not support Bluetooth or WiFi.	Arduino Mega does not support Bluetooth or WiFi.	Raspberry Pi 3 supports Bluetooth and WiFi.	Raspberry Pi 4 supports Bluetooth and WiFi.

Differences between Raspberry Pi and Arduino

This section will provide the main difference between the Raspberry Pi and Arduino Uno board.

The main difference between Arduino and Raspberry Pi is Arduino is a microcontroller-based board, while Raspberry Pi is Single Board Computer.
Arduino Uno board has six analog input pins, while Raspberry Pi doesn’t have any analog input pins.
Raspberry Pi supports WiFi Bluetooth for wireless communication, while in Arduino Uno, you need to interface external device for WiFi and Bluetooth.
With Raspberry Pi 4, you can watch 4K videos with an inbuilt HDMI port, and it also has ports for audio input and output. Arduino Uno does not have such an interface.
Raspberry Pi also supports an interface for Camera, which allows you to create a project related to image processing; with Arduino Uno, you can not make such a project.
You can create an Artificial Intelligence-based project on Raspberry Pi due to its powerful hardware and software resources, whereas Arduino Uno doesn’t have such a capability.

You can use the Raspberry Pi as an Android device, gaming servers, or any other embedded project where an OS is involved.

Example of Raspberry Pi Projects:

The Arduino Board is extensively used in smart homes. Depending on your applications, it usually uses various sensors operating the actuators and other devices.

Using this board, you can develop low-cost and effective products.

So most beginners prefer the Arduino Board.

Example Arduino Uno Projects:

-> Read our guide about What You Can Build with Adruino.

Comparison of Raspberry Pi vs. Arduino Uno

Sr. No.	Arduino Uno	Raspberry Pi 4
1	Arduino Uno is an 8 bit ATmega328P Microcontroller.	Raspberry Pi 4 is a 64-bit SBC. It is based on Broadcom SoC, an ARM Cortex-A Series Microprocessor.
2	There is no need for an operating system.	It needs an Operating System to run.
3	Arduino is open-source, which means the design files and the source code for software and libraries are freely available.	Both hardware and software of Raspberry Pi are closed source.
4	Arduino Uno can be programmed using C / C++ Programming Languages.	Using Raspberry Pi 4, you can develop applications in Python, Scratch, Ruby, C, C++, etc.
5	Arduino Uno voltage level is 5V.	Raspberry Pi 4 Voltage level is 3V.
6	Arduino Uno needs additional modules or shields to connect to the Internet.	You can easily connect to the Internet using Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
7	Arduino Uno has no in-built wireless connectivity and Bluetooth.	Raspberry Pi has the hardware for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi onboard.
8	It consumes about 200 mW of power.	It consumes about 700 mW of power.
9	Arduino Uno GPIO Pins can each drive 40mA.	Raspberry Pi GPIO pins can each drive a maximum of 16mA.
10	Arduino Uno is used to perform single tasks.	Raspberry Pi 4 can perform multiple tasks simultaneously. It is more beneficial to users.
11	It has a higher I/O current drive strength.	It has a lower I/O current drive strength.
12	Arduino boards are cheaper.	Raspberry Pi boards are expensive.
13	Arduino Uno can’t be used as a computer.	Raspberry Pi Can be used as a computer.

What is the advantage of Raspberry Pi over Arduino?

The main advantages of Raspberry Pi over Arduino Uno are in terms of its functionality and features, as mentioned below.

Why do we use Raspberry Pi 4 instead of Arduino Uno?

Raspberry Pi 4 has extraordinary features that make it different from Arduino Uno. These functionalities are given below.

It can use Gigabit Ethernet Port to connect computers in physical space.
It has a 4. 2-lane MIPI DSI display port and a 2-lane MIPI CSI camera port.
It has One USB 3.0 port, One USB 2.0 port, and One USB-C power port 5V / 3A.
It supports 2 × micro-HDMI ports for 4K displays.
4-pole stereo audio and composite video port.
H.265 (HEVC) hardware decode (up to 4Kp60), H.264 hardware decode (up to 1080p60).
It comes with inbuilt OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics.
It has the option to insert a Micro-SD card slot for loading operating system and data storage.
It supports PoE with add-on PoE HAT.
VideoCore VI 3D Graphics.
It Supports dual HDMI display output up to 4Kp60.

What is the advantage of Arduino over Raspberry Pi?

Arduino Uno has some functionality and features which are preferable compared to Raspberry Pi.

The main advantages of Arduino over Raspberry Pi are as follow:

Arduino Uno’s cost is lower than Raspberry Pi because raspberry Pi needs extra peripherals such as an SD card, Monitor, Keyboard, and mouse.
It’s easy to get started with Arduino Uno as setup time is lower than Raspberry pi, which requires OS setup.
Arduino has many well-developed libraries for various communication interfaces and devices. So with Arduino, you can develop your code very quickly compared to Raspberry Pi.
Arduino Uno has an inbuilt ADC, which allows analog inputs to the board. While with Raspberry Pi, you need to connect external ADC for analog inputs.
As Raspberry Pi runs on OS, you need to shut down it whenever you want to turn it off; otherwise, OS may get corrupted. There is no such problem in Arduino Uno.

Which is better for an AI System: Arduino or Raspberry Pi?

For any AI system, hardware should be capable of data gathering, processing, and transmission.

Raspberry Pi can gather data related to images, video, audio, and digital signals, and it also has a larger storage capacity than Arduino Uno.

Raspberry Pi’s powerful 64 bit CPU, Broadcom VideoCore IV GPU, 1 to 8 GB of RAM make it a stronger candidate for AI-based data processing than Arduino Uno.

Raspberry Pi supports WiFi Bluetooth for wireless communication, and it also supports 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 802.11b/g/n/ac wireless LAN. This allows better transmission capability than Arduino Uno.

Therefore, Raspberry Pi is more suitable for AI-based projects than Arduino Uno.

Can Arduino connect to WiFi?

The Arduino Uno has a Standard A/B USB. A single port can be used to connect the Arduino to your computer via your computer’s USB port.

But It doesn’t contain any in-built Bluetooth WiFi.

If you use it to connect to WiFi, require a WiFi module.

The Raspberry Pi has four USB ports that you can use to connect it to various other devices.

It also has 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wireless LAN Bluetooth 5.0 with BLE. It comes ready to be connected to the Internet.

So, You can use the Arduino Uno to connect to WiFi. It is necessary to integrate a WiFi module to connect to the Internet.

Should I learn Arduino or Raspberry Pi?

Arduino Uno is a cross-platform development board. Mainly C++ programming language is used for Arduino boards. It is easy to use the board.

The Raspberry Pi 4 is a complete system on a chip with a graphic card and operating system, which can be used as a computer system and run different programming languages.

You can interface your Raspberry Pi 4 with many other languages like Scratch, Ruby, C/C++, or Java. Using this language, you can develop different types of applications.

So, if you are a beginner in the electronics world, you can start with Arduino Uno, and later for the more complex design, you can go for Raspberry Pi.

-> Learn more about How Easy Is It To Learn Arduino here.

How to Set Up a Raspberry Pi for the First Time

1. Download the Raspbian operating system on the Raspberry Pi

Step 1: Firstly, Insert your microSD card into your System (Computer / Laptop).

Step 2: Download and install the official Raspberry Pi Imager. You can select any Option for selecting Windows, macOS, or Linux. I prefer to Download the Windows version and install it.

Step 3: Open the Raspberry Pi Imager, Click CHOOSE OS, and select Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit) from the OS menu. You have other options also.

Step 4: Open the Raspberry Pi Imager, Click CHOOSE OS, and select Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit) from the OS menu. You have other options also.

Step 5: Then a pop-up window will come; select the YES option, and The app will now take several minutes to download the OS and write to your card.

The app is automatically written and verified. You can see the image below.

Step 6: Finally, select the CONTINUE option, and you can use the Raspberry Pi OS.

2. Hardware connection and basic setup

Step 1: Insert the microSD card into the card slot on the underside of the Raspberry Pi. Plug the USB keyboard and USB mouse into USB ports.

Step 2: Turn on your monitor and make sure it is set to the proper input (e.g., HDMI 1); Plug the HDMI or video component cable into the monitor or TV set, another cable end into the Raspberry Pi.

Step 3: Connect an ethernet cable or connect the Wi-Fi adapter to the Raspberry Pi. You can see the connection Image below.

Step 4: Connect the power supply to the Raspberry Pi. and turn on Raspberry Pi. A power indicator light will glow, letting you know that you are connected.

Step 5: When you turn on the system, Pop up window will appear. You can see the image below.

Step 6: Set up your Country, Language, and TimeZone. And click next.

Step 7: Now, configure your system first, change the system password and confirm it. Click Next.

Step 8: If you connect to the WiFi, connect your WiFi network from the list, and enter the password.

Step 9: If you require updating the software, press Next. Otherwise, Skip continuing the next slide.

Step 10: Next window about setup screen, if you require change setting, otherwise click Next.

Step 11: Your Raspberry Pi setup is done and ready to use. Click on Done to finish.

Conclusion

In this article, I have provided the difference between the Raspberry Pi and Arduino Uno board, how to set up Raspberry Pi for the first time, and select the board for different projects.

I hope you found this article informative. If you find information, please share it and like.

I would love to know what project you plan on building or have already made with the Arduino.

If you have any queries or suggestions, or if you think things are missing in this tutorial, please leave a comment below.

Note that comments are held for moderation to prevent spam.

Hiren Tailor

Hiren is a professional Embedded Engineer with a Master’s Degree
in Electronics and Communication Engineering. He is proficient in C and
C++ and enjoys building DIY projects on Arduino, ESP32, PIC32, STM32 & Raspberry PI boards.