Difference between Banana Pi and Raspberry Pi


Banana Pi and Raspberry Pi look similar, but they are completely different from each other. In this article, we will explore all the major differences between Banana Pi and Raspberry Pi along with their basic description. Both Banana Pi and Raspberry Pi have many similarities, and are used by electronic hobbyists and developers who need a single-board computer at low cost for their projects.

Let us start this article with a basic overview of Banana Pi and Raspberry Pi.

What is Banana Pi?

Banana Pi is a type of single-board computer used in a variety of electronics projects. It was developed by the Chinese company Shenzhen SINOVOIP Co., Ltd. In 2014 as a competitor of Raspberry Pi.

Banana Pi provides support for various operating systems like Android, Linux, etc. It also has integrated Bluetooth, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity. In addition to all these features, it also consists of several different types of ports, such as USB, SATA, HDMI. Therefore, due to all the features, Banana Pi becomes a best platform for a wide range of electronic projects.

Banana Pi is widely used in a variety of projects and applications where a small, powerful, and low-cost computer is needed.

What is Raspberry Pi?

Raspberry Pi is also a single-board computer used in a variety of applications, including small education projects, home automation, media centers, robotics, etc. It was developed by Raspberry Pi Foundation in 2012. The Raspberry Pi supports several different types of operating systems. It also consists of different types of ports like USB, HDMI, Ethernet, etc. Hence, it allows to connect a wide range of peripheral devices.

Raspberry Pi is widely used for learning programming and experimenting with electronics due its versatility and affordability.

After getting insights into the basics of Banana Pi and Raspberry Pi, let us now discuss their important differences.

Difference between Banana Pi and Raspberry Pi

The following table highlights all the significant differences between Banana Pi and Raspberry Pi:

S.No.

Banana Pi

Raspberry Pi

1.

Banana Pi is a single-board computer based on a dual-core Cortex-A7 ARM chip.

Raspberry Pi is a single-board computer based on ARM based Broadcom chip.

2.

Banana Pi platform supports fewer operating systems.

Raspberry Pi supports a wide range of operating systems.

3.

Banana Pi has a 1 GB DDR3 RAM.

Raspberry Pi has a 1 GB DDR2 RAM.

4.

The board dimensions of Banana Pi are 90 × 60 mm.

The board dimensions of Raspberry Pi are 85.6 × 56 mm.

5.

Banana Pi was manufactured in 2014 by the Chinese company Shenzhen SINOVOIP Co. Ltd.

Raspberry Pi was developed in 2012 by a UK based charity organization named Raspberry Pi Foundation.

6.

Banana Pi uses a Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.

Raspberry Pi uses a 100 Mbps Ethernet connectivity.

7.

Banana Pi has an on-board 3.5 mm audio jack.

An on-board 3.5 mm audio jack is available in the Raspberry Pi.

8.

Banana Pi has two USB 2.0 and two Micro USB ports.

Raspberry Pi has 4 USB 2.0 ports.

9.

Banana Pi supports HDMI input and output.

Raspberry Pi supports only HDMI output.

10.

Banana Pi provides better performance in terms of speed.

Raspberry Pi provides comparatively poor performance than Banana Pi.

11.

Banana Pi is more suitable for projects that need lesser number of GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) pins. It consists of a 26-pin expansion header.

Raspberry Pi is better suited for projects that requires larger number of GPIO pins. It consists of a 40-pin expansion header.

12.

An external USB camera is required in the case of Banana Pi.

Raspberry Pi consists of a dedicated camera port.

13.

Banana Pi consumes comparatively more power.

Raspberry Pi consumes relatively less power.

14.

Banana Pi is larger in size.

Raspberry is smaller in size.

15.

Banana Pi is slightly expensive than Raspberry Pi.

Raspberry Pi is comparatively less expensive.

Conclusion

Both Banana Pi and Raspberry Pi are low-cost single-board computers used in a variety of projects and applications, but they are absolutely different from each other as described in the above table.

The most significant difference between Banana Pi and Raspberry Pi is in their processor architecture, i.e. the Banana Pi uses a Dual-Core Cortex-A7 chip processor, while the Raspberry Pi uses an ARM based Broadcom chip processor.

Updated on: 16-May-2023

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