Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Orange Pi VS Raspberry Pi OS

Compare Orange Pi VS Raspberry Pi OS and see what are their differences

Orange Pi logo Orange Pi

It’s an open-source single-board computer. It can run Android 4.

Raspberry Pi OS logo Raspberry Pi OS

A step-by-step guide how to create a simple OS from scratch.
  • Orange Pi Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-09-15
  • Raspberry Pi OS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-11-02

Orange Pi features and specs

  • Affordability
    Orange Pi boards are generally less expensive than many other single-board computers, making them an economical choice for budget-conscious projects.
  • Variety of Models
    Orange Pi offers a wide range of models with various specifications and features, allowing users to choose a board that best suits their specific needs and performance requirements.
  • Open Source
    The Orange Pi platform embraces open-source principles, providing access to source code and schematics, which benefits developers looking to customize or understand their hardware deeply.
  • Decent Performance
    Many Orange Pi models come equipped with robust processors and adequate memory, offering reasonable computational power for different applications, such as media centers and home automation projects.
  • Connectivity Options
    Orange Pi boards often include a variety of I/O options, such as USB, HDMI, Ethernet, and GPIO pins, enabling versatile connectivity for peripherals and external components.

Possible disadvantages of Orange Pi

  • Limited Community Support
    Compared to Raspberry Pi, Orange Pi has a smaller user community, which can result in less communal support, fewer tutorials, and limited third-party resources.
  • Software Compatibility
    Orange Pi boards may face issues with software compatibility, including less polished operating systems and drivers, which can lead to challenges in running some applications smoothly.
  • Inconsistent Documentation
    The documentation for Orange Pi can sometimes be incomplete or not well-maintained, making it difficult for users to find answers or troubleshoot problems effectively.
  • Overheating Concerns
    Certain Orange Pi models are prone to overheating under heavy load, necessitating additional cooling solutions to maintain optimal performance and prevent damage.
  • Build Quality Variability
    There can be variations in the build quality of Orange Pi boards compared to more established brands, which might affect the longevity and reliability of the hardware.

Raspberry Pi OS features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Raspberry Pi OS is streamlined for Raspberry Pi hardware, ensuring efficient use of resources and better performance than more complex operating systems.
  • Educational Value
    It is designed to teach users, especially beginners, about how operating systems work by providing a minimal base for building and experimenting.
  • Community Support
    There is a strong community around Raspberry Pi and its projects, making it easier to find tutorials, forums, and resources.
  • Customization
    Users have the flexibility to customize the OS according to their needs, focusing only on the components relevant to their projects.

Possible disadvantages of Raspberry Pi OS

  • Limited Features
    Being minimal and educational, the OS might lack some advanced features found in more complete operating systems.
  • Not User-Friendly
    It might not be suitable for users looking for an out-of-the-box solution, as it requires technical knowledge and manual setup.
  • Hardware Limitations
    The performance is restricted by the Raspberry Pi hardware, which might not suit high-intensity applications.
  • Niche Use Case
    The OS is specifically tailored for Raspberry Pi and is not suitable for use on other types of hardware without significant modification.

Orange Pi videos

Orange Pi 3

More videos:

  • Review - #080 Orange Pi Zero: Better than the Raspberry Pi Zero? // Review
  • Review - Raspberry Pi 2 VS Orange Pi 2 VS BPi-M2

Raspberry Pi OS videos

Tour of Raspberry pi OS

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Orange Pi and Raspberry Pi OS)
Electronics
100 100%
0% 0
Linux
0 0%
100% 100
Operating Systems
63 63%
37% 37
Single Board Computer
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Orange Pi and Raspberry Pi OS

Orange Pi Reviews

We have no reviews of Orange Pi yet.
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Raspberry Pi OS Reviews

Best Linux distros of 2021 for beginners, mainstream and advanced users
There are several distros for the Raspberry Pi, however the best starting point has to be the Raspberry Pi OS, which is the official distro of the Raspberry Pi and for good reason.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Orange Pi should be more popular than Raspberry Pi OS. It has been mentiond 7 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Orange Pi mentions (7)

  • Official Opi 5+ Ubuntu Jammy does bootloops on my desktop.
    Install a fresh copy of Ubuntu Jammy 1.0.8 from the official listing of downloads on the orangepi.org website. Source: over 1 year ago
  • thoughts on Orangepi 3B as a music player (feeding a dac)
    - how's the quality of the debian images offered by orangepi.org? Source: over 1 year ago
  • Orange Pi Zero 2 doesn't boot from SD card anymore.
    Is there a way to force the OPi Zero 2 to boot from a SD? Now it is only booting to the emmc:s crappy android that is worthless. I used to have Armbian for Octoprint on this board on a SD card but it kept shutting down without logging any reason and destroying the prints so I just put it in a drawer. Now after half a year I decided to see if I could run it with a Linux like Armbian, Ubuntu or Debian (tried them... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Request for "Orange Pi OS (Droid) Beta" (Chinese) Img File for NVMe on OP5
    I am asking that a kind soul who has a copy of the referenced file to please upload it (or multiple different revisions) and provide a link for me. The current version of the (English) beta img file for NVMe located on GDrive from orangepi.org is corrupted and I have tried 3 or 4 different methods to flash the img file onto an NVMe SSD, in either Ubuntu or Windows, but to no avail. I would greatly appreciate the... Source: over 2 years ago
  • OrangePi4 LTS in text only mode
    - Download boot image from orangepi.org. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Raspberry Pi OS mentions (2)

  • I want to learn about kernel development
    Last but not the least, learning by doing is fun so you can check out - raspberry-pi-os (writing an os from scratch) - https://github.com/s-matyukevich/raspberry-pi-os. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Show HN: CheesecakeOS for Raspberry Pi Volume 0: Booting, Processes, and VM
    CheesecakeOS for Raspberry Pi Volume 0: Booting, Processes, and Virtual Memory is the first in what I hope is a series of github markdown tutorials or volumes on bare-metal from-scratch operating system development. I have dreamed of contributing to the Linux Kernel, but have yet to find the courage to jump in and do so. I started by attempting to read Understanding the Linux Kernel by Daniel Bovet and... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Orange Pi and Raspberry Pi OS, you can also consider the following products

Raspberry Pi - The Raspberry Pi is a tiny and affordable computer that you can use to learn programming through fun, practical projects. Join the global Raspberry Pi community.

Odroid - The Odroid is a series of single-board computers and tablet computers created by Hardkernel Co.

Linux Kodachi - Kodachi is a Debian-based distro which can be run from a DVD or USB thumb drive.

MikroTik RouterOS - The main product of MikroTik is a Linux-based operating system known as MikroTik RouterOS.

Nitrux OS - Nitrux is an operating system based on Linux.

Banana Pi - Banana Pi is a single-board computer made in China. It can run Android, Ubuntu and Debian.