Top 10 Single Board Computers of 2020

1.Raspberry Pi 4 Model B – 4 GB RAM

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is upgraded with Latest High-Performance Quad-Core 64-bit Broadcom 2711, Cortex A72 processor clocked at 1.5GHz speed. The board is designed to use 20% less power and offer 90% greater performance than its old version. Hardware upgrade on Pi4 developed for faster performance not only in loading time with all-new 1GB/2GB and 4GB LPDDR4 SDRAM variants but also in connectivity with Dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz, 802.11 b/g/n/ac wireless LAN and PoE capability via a separate PoE HAT. In addition to its USB 3.0, they improved the transfer speed by 10x than USB 2.0 to provide you significantly faster true Gigabit internet experience. This version comes with 4GB of RAM, but there are also versions with 1 and 2 GB.

2. Odroid-XU4

Odroid-XU4 is a cost-effective, high power option with one gigabit Ethernet port for a fast connection, HDMI 1.4a for display, and the board even comes with an active cooler and a power adapter. It features the mighty Samsung Exynos 5422 Cortex-A15 octa-core GPU clocked at 2 GHz and the Mali-T628 MP6 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.1 and OpenCL 1.2. ODROID-XU4 also has 2 GB of memory, two USB 3.0 ports, but there is no Bluetooth for wireless connectivity. The board can run the latest version of Ubuntu, Android 4.4 KitKat, 5.0 Lollipop, and 7.1 Nougat, giving you plenty of options on how to turn it into a full-fledged computer or a handy backup device. When placed inside a nice case, ODROID-XU4 can also be a fantastic first computer for a young child, especially with the Android operating system. DROID-XU4 is powered by ARM big.LITTLE technology and the Heterogeneous Multi-Processing (HMP) solution. By implementing the eMMC 5.0, USB 3.0 and Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, the ODROID-XU4 boasts amazing data transfer speeds, a feature that is increasingly required to support advanced processing power on ARM devices. This allows users to truly experience an upgrade in computing, especially with faster booting, web browsing, networking, and 3D games.

A MicroSD card or an eMMC module is required to boot the OS. We strongly recommend an eMMC module for faster OS booting, quicker application launching, seamless multi-tasking, and efficient access to the cloud.

3. ASUS Tinker Board RK3288

Just like ODROID-XU4, ASUS Tinker Board can be used as a daily computer with more than enough power for basic image editing, Full HD video streaming, web browsing, music listening, and even some casual gaming. The board features the Rockchip RK3288, which is a modern quad-core ARM-based processor that you can find inside many tablets and multimedia players. With 2 GB of memory and the Mali-T764 GPU, the board can play HD and UHD video at 30 fps with the included media player with support for hardware acceleration. To further establish the ASUS Tinker Board as an excellent home multimedia center, it comes with one key feature that you won’t find on nearly any other SBC: an HD codec that supports up to 24-bit/192kHz audio. But the Tinker Board isn’t all about fun and games, well, depending on your idea of fun. The board also includes a 40-pin GPIO interface, a gigabit LAN connection, a DSI MIPI connection for displays and touchscreens, and a CSI MIPI connection for connection to compatible cameras, making it great for the Internet of Things.

4. Libre Renegade Computer Board

If you’re looking for a fairly priced single-board computer to set up a Network Area Storage, a file server, or something else, the Libre Renegade Computer Board will be right up your alley. This one actually has some powerful hardware inside. It’s got a quad 64-bit 1.4GHz ARM Cortex-A53 Processor, a 4K Ultra HD ARM Mali-450 GPU, and 2GB of DDR4 RAM. This one is actually 40% faster than the Raspberry Pi. Libre’s Renegade computer even comes equipped with quick Gigabit Ethernet, which you won’t find on many boards. You can easily turn this into a NAS, Kubernetes cluster, file server, wire-speed encrypted router/VPN, and many more.

5. Arduino Mega 2560

First, we’re looking at the Arduino Mega 2560. This one is similar to a lot of different Arduino boards out there, but the Mega 2560 is designed to handle some of the more ambitious projects. It features more memory and pins to give you better performance. This one, in particular, is based on an 8-bit AVR microcontroller ATmega2560 — there are 54 digital I/O pins, 16 analog inputs, and a larger space for your sketches.

6. Raspberry Pi Zero W

The Raspberry Pi Zero W board extends the functionality of the Pi Zero board with wireless LAN and Bluetooth connectivity. In many ways, it’s the ideal single-board computer for the Internet of Things era. Considering its tiny size, you might be surprised to find out that it comes with the Broadcom BCM2835 CPU clocked at 1 GHz and 512 MB LPDDR2 SDRAM That’s right, for a super low cost, you can have an incredibly versatile, Wi-Fi-enabled single-board computer that stands on the shoulders of the most active and helpful community of single-board computer enthusiasts in existence. The Raspberry Pi Zero W measures only 6.5 cm × 3cm × 0.5cm, and it consumes so little energy that even a moderately large battery pack can keep it running for a very long time.

7. LattePanda

LattePanda is a little different, it actually operating on a Windows 10 development platform. It comes with a Windows 10 OEM activation key, so that’s something you don’t have to buy in addition to the board. The LattePanda is also more expensive, coming with a USB 3.0 port, and two USB 2.0 ports. There is onboard Wi-Fi 802.11n (2.4GHz), and actually supports Bluetooth 4. The Windows 10 Development Platform can be a little difficult to start out on, but this affordable single-board PC is a great way to get you started. Since this one comes with Windows 10 already installed, you’re able to run powerful tools right out of the box, including Visual Studio, NodeJS, Java, Processing, etc.

8. Rock PI Rockchip RK3399

Rock Pi-4 is in an ultra-little structured factor board that offers class-driving execution while utilizing remarkable mechanical similarity. The Rock Pi-4 offers producers, IoT. devotees, specialists, PC-DIY lovers, and others a dependable and very able stage for the building and tinkering their thought(s) into the real world. Rock Pi 4 has a cutting edge and incredible Hexa-center ARM-based processor(s), RK3399 inside, and it offers fundamentally improved execution vs other well-known SBC sheets. All models are outfitted with LPDDR4 3200Mb/s RAM and optional superior eMMC modules, support all applications. It has an Onboard antenna and it is compatible with the Raspberry Pi camera.

9. Banana Pi BPI-M4

Banana-Pi is also another single-board computer with promises. It is a credit card-sized computer with great features. It produced by the Chinese company name Shenzhen co, Ltd. The Raspberry Pi influenced the design of banana-Pi computer hardware. Banana-Pi can run on many operating systems like Linux, Android, Debian, and Ubuntu. Banana-Pi BPI-M4 uses Realtek RTD1395 chip structure, it is a 64-piece quad-center A53 scaled-down single-board PC. It highlights 1 GB/2GB of RAM and 8 GB eMMC. It likewise has locally available WiFi for b/g/n/air conditioning and BT 4.2. On the ports side; the BPI-M4 has 4 USB 2.0 ports, 1 USB TYPE C port, 1 HDMI port, f1 sound jack. Support M.2 Key E PCI-E 2.0 interface(s).

10. LattePanda Alpha 864s

Latte Panda Alpha uses the Intel Core m3 processor; which is equivalent to the most recent MacBook. The Core m3 processor is the ideal decision for unrivaled execution and low force utilization. With its 8GB RAM and 64GB eMMC, M.2 interface SSD backing, and abundant GPIO expansion ports; Alpha can meet the majority of the application needs. This single-board computer is known as the leader of the pandas. The main features of this single board computer support both operating systems; Windows and Linux have the ultimate ability of cloud networking, extendable interfaces. This computer takes less space due to its ultra-thin design. 8 GB RAM which increases the speed of the computer performance.

Best Single Board Computers of 2021

It has been an exciting year for single-board computers (SBCs) in 2020. For example, we’ve seen an updated Raspberry Pi 4 with 8GB of RAM, as well as an updated NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit. We’ve also released the powerful and flexible ODYSSEY x86J4105 series that can run both Windows and Linux, bringing even more possibilities to edge computing!

As the new year has now arrived, we have compiled all the best SBC currently as of February 2021 and have categorised them based on individual strengths like cost, community, performance, simplicity, power consumption and many more!

We will be keeping a close lookout for new single-board computers that are getting released throughout this year and continuously update this list! So do not worry as this guide will be forever up to date!

Without further ado, let us jump right into the first Best Single Board Computer of 2021!

Most Affordable: Raspberry Pi Zero / Zero W

Want to get an SBC and not break your bank for it? Or having space constraints with your projects? If that is the case, the Raspberry Pi Zero / Zero W will definitely suit your needs!

• Costing less than your average movie ticket at $5 and $10 respectively for the Raspberry Pi Zero or Zero W, it is one of the cheapest SBC out there while offering decent performance.
• In addition, standing at only 65mm x 30mm x 5mm, the Pi Zero / Zero W size small size makes it very convenient for makers to include into their projects. They have found their way inside security cameras, robots and even laptops!
• Do you need Wi-Fi connectivity or Bluetooth? Get the Raspberry Pi Zero W which includes 802.11 b/g/n wireless LAN, Bluetooth(R) 4.1 and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection needs!
• With its price, you will definitely not find the best performance and power compared to other SBCs out there! It also lacks all the USB ports and audio jack found on the Raspberry Pi 4.
• How about extra connectivity? You can easily solder on a 2*20 Pin Male & Female header which brings the ability to plug in Pi HATs, GPIO cables, etc like a regular Raspberry Pi!

Raspberry Pi Zero / Zero W Specs:

CPU: 1GHz, Single Core
GPU: –
RAM: 512MB
Price: $5 / $10

Best for Machine Learning: NVIDIA® Jetson Xavier™ NX Developer Kit

Machine learning is no longer exclusive to powerful desktops and clusters! The NVIDIA® Jetson Xavier™ NX Developer Kit, released in 2020, brings supercomputer performance to the edge with specialised hardware for artificial intelligence.

• The new Jetson Xavier accelerates the NVIDIA software stack in as little as 10 W with more than 10X the performance of its widely adopted predecessor, Jetson TX2. With its small form factor and power-efficient performance, the Jetson Xavier enables solutions with accurate, multi-modal AI inference that opens the door for new breakthrough products.
• If you’re looking to build machine learning powered applications like object detection, image segmentation or natural language processing, you won’t go wrong with the NVIDIA® Jetson Xavier NX.

NVIDIA® Jetson Xavier NX Developer Kit Specs

CPU: 6-core NVIDIA Carmel ARM®v8.2 64-bit CPU 6MB L2 + 4MB L3 Cache
GPU: NVIDIA Volta architecture with 384 NVIDIA CUDA® cores and 48 Tensor cores
RAM: 8GB 128-bit LPDDR4x @ 51.2GB/s
AI Performance: 6 TFLOPS (FP16), 21 TOPS (INT8)
Price: $399

Best Flexibility: NVIDIA® Jetson Nano™ Developer Kit

Looking to do AI and machine learning but want to use your SBC as a desktop at the same time? Or simply want a more affordable AI & machine learning option? The Jetson Nano from NVIDIA can do just that!

• The NVIDIA® Jetson Nano™ Developer Kit delivers computing performance to run modern AI workloads at an unprecedented size, power, and cost. Developers, learners, and makers can now run AI frameworks and models for applications like image classification, object detection, segmentation, and speech processing.
• Despite having an older and weaker core than some of the SBCs currently, the Jetson Nano has a much more capable GPU and performance designed specifically for AI applications.
• If you are looking for an SBC for AI and machine learning purposes while also using it as a general-purpose computer, the Jetson Nano would be your pick!

Interested in more NVIDIA products? You can check out all of our NVIDIA products here!

NVIDIA® Jetson Nano™ Developer Kit Specs:

CPU: Quad-core ARM® A57 CPU
GPU: 128-core NVIDIA Maxwell™ GPU
RAM: 4 GB 64-bit LPDDR4
Price: $89

Most Power: ODYSSEY – X86J4105800

If you want a powerful board that is able to run a full version of Windows 10, the Odyssey-X86J4105800 is definitely the board for you.

• ODYSSEY is a series of SBC (Single Board Computer), allowing you to build Edge Computing applications with ease. The ODYSSEY – X86J4105, based on Intel Celeron J4105, is a Quad-Core 1.5GHz CPU that bursts up to 2.5GHz.
• It includes all the powerful features of Mini PC such as 8GB LPDDR4 RAM, 64GB eMMC Storage(optional), onboard Wi-Fi/BLE, Dual Gigabyte Ethernet Ports, Audio Input and Output, USB Ports, HDMI, SATA Connectors and PCIe, however, within a cost-effective price.
• With simple connections to Mouse, Keyboard, and Monitor to ODYSSEY – X86J4105, you will get a Desktop Mini PC right away. With eMMC versions, you even have the Windows 10 Enterprise pre-installed!
• The ODYSSEY – X86J4105 is more than just a computer, with the Arduino Co-processor onboard, it can be used to connect with sensors, gyroscope, and much more.
• What can you do with the Odyssey-X86J4105? Well, possibilities are endless with this powerful SBC. Some applications include:
  • Mini PC
  • NAS (Network-Attached Storage)
  • Edge Computing
  • Network Routing
  • Robotics
  • Media Center
  • Server Cluster
  • IoT Gateway

ODYSSEY – X86J4105800 Specs:

CPU: Intel® Celeron® J4105 1.5 GHz (2.5 GHz boost) w ATSAMD21G18 Cortex® M0+ Coprocessor
GPU: Intel® UHD Graphics 600
RAM: LPDDR4 8GBStorage: 64GB eMMC
Networking: Intel® I211AT PCIe Gigabit LAN, Supports Wake-On-LAN & PXE
Price: $218

Best for Internet of Things – BeagleBone® Green Wireless

BeagleBone® Green Wireless is the collaborative effort between Seeed Studio & BeagleBone.org. It offers a Wi-Fi and BLE solution with a built-in 2.4 GHz TI WLinkTM8 module with two antennas while supporting AP+STA communication and complying with Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP). All these features make the BeagleBone® Green Wireless the perfect SBC for bringing your systems online for IoT.

In addition, the board also comes with two Grove connectors, allowing you to easily interface with the many available Grove modules, like sensors or other communication modules. If you want to build a cloud-connected monitoring or communication system, BBGW is going to be the obvious choice!

BeagleBone® Green Wireless Specs:

CPU: AM3358 1GHz ARM® Cortex-A8
Coprocessor: 2x PRU 32-bit microcontrollers
RAM: 512MB DDR3
Price: $52.90

Best for Beginners: Raspberry Pi 4

Are you a beginner looking to start learning electronics with an SBC? With one of the biggest communities and support for development, the Raspberry Pi 4 is highly recommended for beginners and has become a must-buy for all makers and tech enthusiasts.

• The Raspberry Pi 4 is commonly used by many makers and there are many detailed tutorials and projects using the Raspberry Pi 4 which are well documented online.
• With the new Raspberry Pi 4, it features impressive speeds and performance power compared to previous models while staying affordable at the same price as the previous Raspberry Pi Model 3B+ of $35.
• When it was released in 2019, the Raspberry Pi 4B only came in 1, 2 and 4GB RAM variants. In 2020, the Raspberry Pi Foundation released an updated version with 8GB of RAM, making the Pi 4 an even stronger candidate for tasks that require more memory.
• At its price, it features a Broadcom BCM2711, quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.5GHz which has a Video core VI Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handling all graphical input/output. With it, it can cope with 4K resolution and H.265 video, as well as video scaling, camera input, and all HDMI and composite video outputs. The 2711 also has ‘proper’ USB3.0 and Gigabit Ethernet interfaces!
• Feel that your Raspberry Pi 4 is still slow for you? It is also compatible with the Coral USB Accelerator at a price of $74.99 to further improve its machine learning capabilities and performance!
• Even though it is not the most powerful, most compact or cheapest, it is definitely still recommended due to its community and support which are very suitable for beginners just starting out on SBCs!

If you are interested in what the Raspberry Pi 4 can do, you can check out our other guides on:

Raspberry Pi 4 Specs:

CPU: Broadcom BCM2711, Quad core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC 1.5GHz
GPU: Broadcom VideoCore VI
RAM: LPDDR4 SDRAM
Price: $35 (1GB), $35 (2GB), $55 (4GB), $75 (8GB)

Raspberry Pi Alternatives

The Raspberry Pi is definitely one of the most popular SBCs around the world. But it’s definitely not the only one, with other manufacturers adding in more powerful and feature rich options to their products. If you’re interested in the Raspberry Pi but are not sure if it’s the right choice, here are the best Raspberry Pi alternatives for you to consider.

Raspberry Pi 4 Alternative: ODYSSEY STM32MP157C

The ODYSSEY STM32MP157C is based on the STM32MP157C, a dual-core Arm-Cortex-A7 operating at 650Mhz. It also integrates an Arm Cortex-M4 coprocessor, which makes it suitable for real-time tasks. This powerful board shares the same form factor and has the same 40 pin GPIO as the Raspberry Pi 4, making it compatible with many of your favourite accessories and HATs.

• The ODYSSEY STM32MP157C is unique for its SoM (System on Module) plus carrier board design, which makes the applications you develop with this SBC easily scalable for deployment in embedded systems.
• In addition, it comes with two grove connectors for convenient interfacing with the Grove ecosystem of sensors and modules.

Odyssey STM32MP157C Specs:

MPU: Dual-core Arm Cortex-A7 @ 650MHz with Arm Cortex-M4 Coprocessor
Memory: 512MB DDR3 RAM with 4GB eMMC
Price: $54.90

Raspberry Pi 4 Alternative: Rock Pi 4 Model B

• Compared to the Raspberry Pi 4, the Rock Pi 4 offers a better performing CPU and GPU that is better suited for machine learning.
• The measurements, layout, and design are exactly the same as the Raspberry Pi 4 making it a formidable alternative to consider.
• It is able to run Android OS officially and supports mainstream AI stack with GPU acceleration which is good for computer vision application, robotics, etc.
• In addition, with Rock Pi 4 multiple storage options, it features a better read and writes performance on external storage drives, which allows for a quicker read and write speeds that result in improved workflows and file usage efficiency.
• However, community and support are not as robust compared to the Raspberry Pi as the community is smaller. Debugging may be a problem for beginners and novice users as documentation may not be as good.
• It also comes with a slightly more expensive price tag at $49 to $75 compared to the Raspberry Pi 4 at $35 to $55 depending on the RAM.

Rock Pi 4 Model B Specs:

CPU: Dual Cortex-A72 @ 1.8Ghz with Quad Cortex-A53 @ 1.4Ghz
GPU: Mali T860MP4 GPU, supports OpenGL ES1.1/2.0/3.0/3.1/3.2, Vulkan 1.0, OpenCL 1.1/1.2, DX11
RAM: 64bit dual channel LPDDR4@3200Mb/s, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB options
Price: $49 (1GB), $59 (2GB), $75 (4GB)

Raspberry Pi 4 Alternative: Banana Pi M64

• The Banana Pi M64 comes with 8 GB of eMMC which is the main feature that differentiates it from the Raspberry Pi 4.
• It also features a 4K HDMI interface, MIPI-DSI, and MIPI-CSI, as well as onboard wireless and Gigabit Ethernet for your connectivity needs.
• Despite being a Raspberry Pi 4 alternative, the community and users are not as robust compared to the Raspberry Pi 4 with a bustling community.
• With minimal tutorials and projects for you to choose and learn from, beginners may face difficulties as debugging may be a problem due to the documentation being not as good compared to the Pi 4.
• The Banana Pi M64 also comes at a slightly higher price at $60.

Banana Pi M64 Specs:

CPU: Allwinner 64-bit Quad-core ARM Cortex A53 @ 1.2GHz
GPU: Dual-core Mali 400 MP2
RAM: 2GB
Price: $60

Raspberry Pi 4 Alternative: Orange Pi 4B

The Orange Pi 4 is the update to the Orange Pi 3, with a 6-core ARM 64-bit processor comprising Dual-core Cortex-A72 and Quad-core Cortex-A53 and total clock speeds of up to 2.0GHz. The Orange Pi 4 has now been updated to have 40 GPIO pins like the Raspberry Pi, and is suitable for similar applications like building a PC, media centre, or retro game console.

Orange Pi is a direct competitor to the Raspberry Pi, featuring slightly more powerful hardware specifications. It also has support for a variety of operating systems, including Android, Ubuntu, and Debian.

Despite being open source like the Raspberry Pi and packing more power, the Orange Pi isn’t as popular in the community. This means that there won’t be as many materials and projects to reference, so this might not be the best choice for beginners. It’s also slightly more expensive, coming in at $88 compared to $55 for the same amount of RAM.

Orange Pi 4B Specs:

CPU: Rockchip RK3399 6-core ARM® 64-bit processor, up to 2.0GHz
GPU: Mali-T864, Supports OpenGL ES1.1/2.0/3.0/3.1, OpenVG 1.1, OpenCL, DX11, AFBC
RAM: Dual 4GB LPDDR4
Price: $88 on Amazon

With many alternatives for the Raspberry Pi 4, do note that if you prefer stability, support and projects that are well documented for you to pick from, the Raspberry Pi 4 is recommended!

However, if you prefer more power or other specific functions offered, you can consider the alternatives.

Best for Machine Learning with TensorFlow: Coral Dev Board

Looking to run machine learning with an SBC with TensorFlow? The Google Coral Dev Board will definitely do the trick!

For those who do not know what TensorFlow is, it is an end-to-end open-source platform for machine learning. It has a comprehensive, flexible ecosystem of tools, libraries and community resources that lets researchers push the state-of-the-art in ML and developers easily build and deploy ML-powered applications.

• This SBC was designed specially for use with TensorFlow Lite machine learning models! However, this may be bad news for users who want to use other deep learning frameworks like Pytorch, Caffe / Caffe2, etc.
• The Coral Dev Board features an Edge TPU module engineered to deliver high-performance machine learning interpretation which allows users to quickly prototype on-device Machine Learning products.
• With one of the newest CPU, the NXP i.MX 8M SOC (Quad-core Cortex-A53, plus Cortex-M4F), combined with the Edge TPU, it offers incredible performance and power while being power efficient.
• However, the Coral Dev Board comes with a heavy price tag costing $149.99. It also lacks a desktop operating system if you are looking for an SBC that can run as a desktop. Nonetheless, if you wish to do machine learning on an SBC with Tensorflow, the Coral Dev board will definitely get the job done.

Coral Dev Board Specs:

CPU: NXP i.MX 8M SOC (Quad Cortex-A53, Cortex-M4F)
GPU: Integrated GC7000 Lite GraphicsRAM: 4GB LPDDR4
AI Accelerator: Google Edge TPU ML Accelerator Coprocessor (4TOPS)
Price: $169.99

Best for Smart Voice and Sound Applications: Respeaker Core v2.0

Looking for a board to make a smart speaker, intelligent voice assistant system, voice recorder, car voice assistant, or basically any smart voice and sound applications? This SBC right here is perfect for all these applications.

• The ReSpeaker Core v2.0 allows developers to create powerful and impactful voice and sound interfaces. Suitable to use as a base for smart assistance as well as responding to environmental sounds, the ReSpeaker Core v2.0 was designed with the idea that developers deserve to have many options available to them.
• This SBC is able to run and support Debian and Android with an onboard microphone array and software-based voice enhancement algorithms.
• Around the core are peripherals including a Kingston 4GB eMMC to enable the OS to run onboard, a WiFi/BLE module, USB, Grove, and HDMI connectors, the onboard 6-mic array, LED ring, and more.
• Furthermore, the Respeaker Core v2.0 is able to process audio received through the 6 far-field microphones in real-time with the powerful Axol Core.
• You can get all these goodness inside this SBC at only $99.

Respeaker Core v2.0 Specs:

CPU: Quad-Core Cortex-A7 @ Up to 1.5GHz
GPU: Mali 400MP, Supports OpenGL ES1.1/2.0
RAM: 1GB RAM (Core Module includes RAM and PMU)
Price: $99

Running Android: Hikey 970 Development Board

Do you wish to run Android on an SBC together with Machine learning capabilities? With the Hikey 970, the board can run Android (AOSP) or Linux distributions (Ubuntu/Debian), and supports Huawei HiAI SDK that delivers up to 25 times performance, and/or 50 times the power efficiency for A.I. applications.

• The latest HiAI SDK V150 supports Caffe, TensorFlow, TensorFlow Lite, and Android NN frameworks, and various tools.
• Making use of with LPDDR4X 1866MHz memory, and featuring 64GB of UFS 2.1 storage, Bluetooth, WIFI, and GPS, this is a board specifically aimed at developers, especially those looking in maximizing accelerated AI capabilities that are not present of most other development platforms.
• This makes the Hikey 970 to be used in most applications like Deep Learning, Robots, Automobile, and Smart City.
• However, at a price of $299, it is one of the most expensive SBCs out there in the market but it will definitely be worth it with its performance.

Hikey 970 Development Board Specs:

CPU: 4-Core Cortex A73 @ 2.36GHz, 4-Core Cortex A53 @ 1.8GHz
GPU: Mali G72-MP12
RAM: 6GB LPDDR4
Price: $299

Compact SBC: PocketBeagle

Looking for a compact and tiny board? The PocketBeagle should do the job!

• Standing at 56mm x 35mm x 5mm, the PocketBeagle is the size of a tiny mint-tin almost similar to the Raspberry Pi Zero.
• This board is unique in a way as it has similarities with the Raspberry Pi but also the Arduino. Being able to run Linux right out of the box and programmed through your web browser, there is no doubt that this is a single-board computer (SBC). However, it has 5 analog inputs with 44 GPIO pins and a microSD slot which makes it flexible and versatile and able to function like an Arduino while having a full onboard operating system!
• One main feature of the Pocketbeagle is that you can easily program the Pocketbeagle through a web browser running on any other connected desktop like a USB key-fob.
• This board is suitable for beginners who are looking to learn programming aspects and it is also a low-cost Linux computer with tremendous expansibility.

PocketBeagle Specs:

CPU: Octavo Systems OSD335x SiP with TI Sitara AM3358 (1x Cortex-A @ 1GHz)
GPU: PowerVR SGX530
RAM: 512MB
Price: $25

Special Mention: Microcontrollers

Yes yes, we know! Microcontrollers are not single board computers. Although microcontrollers are typically not as powerful as SBCs, they are specialised in low power, high efficiency computing. Since they don’t run on operating systems like most SBCs do, they also feature lower latency. For this reason, microcontrollers still play an important role over SBCs in timing critical tasks!

If you’re building a simple project that doesn’t need so much power, why not consider a microcontroller over an SBC instead?

Arduino Compatible: Seeeduino Cloud

• Seeeduino Cloud is a microcontroller board based on Dragino WiFi IoT module HE and ATmega32u4. HE is a high performance, low cost 150M, 2.4G WiFi module which means “core” in Chinese and with an Open Source OpenWrt system inside.
• Seeeduino Cloud is also 100% compatible with Grove, shield and IDEs(Arduino IDE 1.5.3 and later).
• Except for the normal interface of Arduino, Seeeduino Cloud has built-in Ethernet and WiFi support, a USB-A port which makes it very suitable for those prototype design that needs a network connection and mass storage. It is also a good idea to make Seeeduino Cloud to an IoT gateway.
• Historically, interfacing Arduino with complex web services has been quite a challenge due to the limited memory available. Web services tend to use verbose text-based formats like XML that require quite a lot of ram to parse. On the Cloud, you can use the Yun Bridge library which delegates all network connections and processing of HTTP transactions to the Linux machine.

Seeeduino Cloud Specs:

CPU: ATHEROS AR9331
GPU: –
RAM: 64MB
Price: $49.95

Honourable Mention: Seeeduino Mega

Why did we include this microcontroller? Well, even though it is based around microcontrollers instead of a microprocessor, it has shared characteristics as the Raspberry Pi 4 in budget hardware and STEM education.

• While both boards can control electronics attached to their pins, the Pi is also capable of being used as a full desktop computer but the Arduino is easier to use when building electronic prototypes, and also to swap out for a new microcontroller in the final product. So do pick which microcontroller or SBC that suits your project the most!
• The Seeeduino Mega is a powerful micro-controller derived from Arduino Mega. It features ATmega2560 processor which brings a large number of I/O pins, as much as 70 digital I/O, 16 analog inputs, 14 PWM, and 4 hardware serial ports.
• Compared to Arduino Mega, we shrunk the volume of Arduino Mega by at least 30% and made it 100% compatible with Seeed Shield products. And as a member of Seeeduino series, Seeeduino Mega inherits deliberate details from Seeeduino, like selectable operating voltage(3.3V/5V), right angle reset button, and so on.
• If you are looking to create robotic projects or you want something for a 3D printer, the Seeeduino Mega will be a handy replacement to Raspberry Pi even though it is based on a microcontroller and not a microprocessor.

Seeeduino Mega Specs:

CPU: ATmega 2560 @ 16MHz
GPU: –
RAM: 8kB
Price: $43

Honourable Mention: Micro:bit

Another microcontroller? And besides this, when you compare its specs and other single board computers on this list, the micro:bit is nowhere near as powerful or as versatile.

Before you dismiss this recommendation, we had to include it in the list due to the Micro:bit’s low cost and user-friendly experience for beginners. If you are looking to enter into the world of electronics and programming, getting a powerful single board computer might not be the best choice as you wouldn’t be able to fully make use of it.

Instead, why not get a Micro:bit which is a pocket-sized microcontroller? It’s designed for kids and beginners learning how to program which can be used for all sorts of cool creations, from robots to musical instruments and many more, costing only $15! Not to mention, it can be powered with just 2 AAA batteries.

The BBC micro:bit has an awful lot of features for you to create various projects, prominently:

• 25 red LED lights flashing messages
• Two programmable buttons used to control games/pause and skip songs on a playlist
• Low energy Bluetooth connection that interacts with other devices and the Internet
• Embedded compass, accelerometer, mobile, and well-based programming capabilities

• Programming the board is very easy and beginner-friendly where you do not need to have years of experience. All you need is just a few minutes learning the basics and you are good to go!
• If you feel like this is only a child’s toy, be rest assured it isn’t as with this board, you can also learn how to program with python as well just like any other single-board computer. In addition, it can be paired with the Raspberry Pi 4 as well!
• If you wish to expand the micro:bit capabilities, here at Seeed, we offer various kits, shields, cases, and extensions for you like Bitmaker, Bitwear, BitPlayer,BitCar, BitWearable Kit, Kittenbot and many more!

Interested in what the micro:bit can do? You can check out our list on Top 25 Micro:Bit Projects You Must Try 2019!

Micro:bit Specs:

CPU: Nordic nRF51822 – 16 MHz 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0
GPU: –
Memory: 256kB Flash Memory, 16KB Static Ram
Price: $14.90

Summary

That’s it for the best Single Board Computers of 2021! With so many SBCs being released each year, it is hard to keep track of all of them. Single Board Computers each have their own various functions like machine learning and education each with different prices as well! So do pick out wisely in which SBC suits your projects the most to make the most out of it.

Still struggling in making a decision? To make it easier for you guys, we have compiled them into a table for you to easily compare their differences and pick your favourite:

SBC	CPU	GPU	RAM	Other features	Price
Raspberry Pi Zero / Zero W	1GHz, Single Core CPU	–	512MB RAM	–	$5 and $10
NVIDIA® Jetson Xavier NX Developer Kit	6-core NVIDIA Carmel ARM®v8.2 64-bit CPU 6MB L2 + 4MB L3 Cache	NVIDIA Volta architecture with 384 NVIDIA CUDA® cores and 48 Tensor cores	8 GB 128-bit LPDDR4x @ 51.2GB/s	–	$399
NVIDIA® Jetson Nano™ Developer Kit	Quad-core ARM® A57 CPU	128-core NVIDIA Maxwell™ GPU	4 GB 64-bit LPDDR4	–	$89
ODYSSEY x86J4105	Intel® Celeron® J4105 1.5 GHz (2.5 GHz boost) w ATSAMD21G18 Cortex® M0+ Coprocessor	Intel® UHD Graphics 600	LPDDR4 8GB, 64GB eMMC (optional)	–	$218
BeagleBone® Green Wireless	AM3358 1GHz ARM® Cortex-A8 with 2x PRU 32-bit microcontroller coprocessors	–	512MB DDR3	Suitable for wireless, IoT applications
Raspberry Pi 4	Broadcom BCM2711, Quad coreCortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC 1.5GHz	Broadcom VideoCore VI	1 GB, 2 GB, or 4 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM	–	$35 (1GB) $35 (2GB) $55 (4GB) $75 (8GB)
ODYSSEY – STM32MP157C	Dual-core Arm Cortex-A7 @ 650MHz with Arm Cortex-M4 Coprocessor MPU	–	512MB DDR3 with 4GB eMMC	SoM design + Grove	$54.90
Rock Pi 4 Model B	Dual Cortex-A72, frequency 1.8Ghz with quad Cortex-A53, frequency 1.4Ghz	Mali T860MP4 GPU, supports OpenGL ES 1.1 /2.0 /3.0 /3.1 /3.2, Vulkan 1.0, Open CL 1.1 1.2, DX11.	64bit dual channel LPDDR4@3200Mb/s, 4GB, 2GB or 1GB depending on model	–	$49 (1GB) $59 (2GB) $75 (4GB)
Banana Pi M64	Allwinner 64 Bit Quad Core ARM Cortex A53 1.2 GHz	Dual-core Mali 400 MP2	2GB DDR	–	$60
Orange Pi 4	Rockchip RK3399 6-core ARM® 64-bit processor, up to 2.0GHz	Mali-T864, Supports OpenGL ES1.1/2.0/3.0/3.1, OpenVG 1.1, OpenCL, DX11, AFBC	Dual 4GB LPDDR4	–	$35
Coral Dev Board	NXP i.MX 8M SOC (quad Cortex-A53, Cortex-M4F)	Integrated GC7000 Lite Graphics	1 GB LPDDR4	ML Accelerator – Google Edge TPU coprocessor	$149.99
Respeaker Core v2.0	Quad-Core Cortex-A7,up to 1.5GHz	Mali400MP, Support OpenGL ES1.1/2.0	1GB RAM(Core Module includes RAM and PMU)	–	$99
Hikey 970 Development Board	4 x Cortex A73 @ 2.36GHz, 4 x Cortex A53 @ 1.8GHz	Mali G72-MP12	6GB LPDDR4	–	$299
PocketBeagle	Octavo Systems OSD335x SiP with TI Sitara AM3358 (1x Cortex-A @ 1GHz)	PowerVR SGX530	512MB RAM	–	$25
Seeeduino Cloud	ATHEROS AR9331	–	64MB RAM	–	$49.95
Seeeduino Mega	ATmega 2560 @ 16MHz	–	8KB	–	$43
Micro:bit	Nordic nRF51822 – 16 MHz 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0	–	256KB flash memory, 16KB Static Ram	–	$14.90

What are your thoughts on all these Single Board Computers? Did we miss any Single Board Computers that you think deserve to be on this list? We’d love to hear from you guys so let us know in the comments!