Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Raspberry Pi VS AWS Greengrass

Compare Raspberry Pi VS AWS Greengrass and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Raspberry Pi logo 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.

AWS Greengrass logo AWS Greengrass

Local compute, messaging, data caching, and synch capabilities for connected devices
  • Raspberry Pi Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-28
  • AWS Greengrass Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-28

Raspberry Pi features and specs

  • Affordability
    Raspberry Pi devices are very cost-effective, typically priced between $5 to $75, making them accessible for a wide range of users.
  • Size and Portability
    The compact size of a Raspberry Pi makes it easy to integrate into various projects and conducive to portable applications.
  • Versatility
    Raspberry Pi can be used for a multitude of applications ranging from educational purposes to complex IoT projects, media centers, and more.
  • Community Support
    With a large and active community, extensive documentation, and numerous tutorials available, support is readily accessible for troubleshooting and project ideas.
  • Educational Tool
    Raspberry Pi is widely used in education for teaching programming, electronics, and computer science concepts in a hands-on manner.
  • Energy Efficiency
    The Raspberry Pi consumes relatively low power, which makes it an excellent choice for always-on applications and energy-conscious users.

Possible disadvantages of Raspberry Pi

  • Limited Performance
    Despite improvements in newer models, Raspberry Pi devices still have limitations in processing power compared to full-fledged computers, which can be a bottleneck for intensive applications.
  • Storage Constraints
    The usage of micro SD cards for storage can be a limitation in terms of both speed and capacity, compared to traditional hard drives or SSDs.
  • Peripheral Dependency
    To fully utilize a Raspberry Pi, additional peripherals like keyboards, mice, monitors, and power supplies are needed, which can complicate setups and add to the overall cost.
  • Connectivity Limitations
    Though equipped with various connectivity options, the number of USB ports and network interfaces may be limited, imposing restrictions on connected devices.
  • No Built-in Real-Time Clock
    Raspberry Pi lacks a built-in real-time clock (RTC), requiring an additional RTC module for applications that need to keep track of time when powered off.
  • Software Compatibility
    Certain software and applications are not optimized for the ARM architecture of the Raspberry Pi, potentially limiting the available software and compatibility with x86 applications.

AWS Greengrass features and specs

  • Edge Computing
    AWS Greengrass allows devices to process data locally without relying on cloud resources, reducing latency and ensuring continued operation even with intermittent connectivity.
  • Seamless AWS Integration
    Seamlessly integrates with a variety of AWS services such as AWS Lambda, AWS IoT Core, and Amazon S3, allowing for enhanced functionality and simplified data exchange between edge devices and the cloud.
  • Security Features
    Offers robust security features, including data encryption for both in-transit and at-rest data, ensuring secure communication and data storage.
  • OTA Updates
    Provides over-the-air software updates, allowing developers to deploy new updates and patches to edge devices securely and efficiently.
  • Machine Learning at the Edge
    Supports ML inference capabilities, enabling machine learning models to run locally on devices, which is essential for real-time data processing and decision-making.

Possible disadvantages of AWS Greengrass

  • Complexity
    The integration of Greengrass in IoT solutions can add complexity, requiring a good understanding of both AWS services and edge computing.
  • Cost Considerations
    While processing data locally can reduce cloud costs, there may be additional expenses related to maintaining the hardware and ensuring compatibility with Greengrass, as well as costs associated with AWS usage.
  • Device Compatibility
    Not all devices may be compatible with AWS Greengrass, which may limit its use cases or require specific hardware configurations.
  • Dependency on AWS Ecosystem
    Being heavily integrated with the AWS ecosystem means that changes or outages in AWS services can potentially impact Greengrass deployments.
  • Learning Curve
    There may be a steep learning curve for developers who are new to AWS Greengrass, especially when it comes to deploying and managing complex IoT applications.

Analysis of Raspberry Pi

Overall verdict

  • Raspberry Pi is generally considered a good option for hobbyists, educators, and prototypers due to its affordability and extensive community support. It is an excellent tool for learning programming, electronics, and computer science concepts.

Why this product is good

  • Raspberry Pi devices are praised for their affordability, versatility, and support from a large community. They are popular for educational purposes, DIY electronics projects, and even for use as low-cost servers or media centers. The Raspberry Pi Foundation also provides robust documentation and a wide range of tutorials that make it accessible to users of all skill levels.

Recommended for

  • Students and educators looking to teach or learn computing and programming skills.
  • Hobbyists and DIY enthusiasts interested in electronics and project building.
  • Developers looking to prototype IoT devices and small computing solutions.
  • Anyone needing a low-cost, energy-efficient computer for basic tasks.

Raspberry Pi videos

Can a Raspberry Pi 4 be used as a Desktop PC - Full test and review

More videos:

  • Review - Raspberry Pi 4 8GB Review: Should you buy it?
  • Review - The Raspberry Pi 4 Is A Gaming Beast

AWS Greengrass videos

Run ML Models at the Edge with AWS Greengrass ML

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Raspberry Pi and AWS Greengrass)
Electronics
100 100%
0% 0
Data Dashboard
0 0%
100% 100
Operating Systems
100 100%
0% 0
IoT Platform
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Raspberry Pi and AWS Greengrass. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Raspberry Pi should be more popular than AWS Greengrass. It has been mentiond 23 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.

Raspberry Pi mentions (23)

  • INFJ wanting to gift an INTP for his birthday
    INTPs are often very good at tinkering and programming so anything from http://raspberrypi.org will be a winner! They’ve got every budget covered from tiny computers for $5 all the way up to the accessories which can be bought on the websites linked on there that’ll turn your pi into a robot or sensor kit or anything really. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Help getting my image working?
    The only thing I can get to boot on any of the 3 boards is the newest pi4 OS image on raspberrypi.org. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Help with 12 year old girl who would like to learn coding.
    Https://raspberrypi.org lots of FOSS tools and fun projects for beginners. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Please report scalpers and price-gougers
    Sure. Do what Adafruit, Sparkfun, Pihut, and the others linked from raspberrypi.org do. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton says that he expects the inventory situation to improve over time and to be completely resolved within 12 months.
    It seems disgusting when you open raspberrypi.org and be presented with slogans like "teach, learn, make" and pictures of kids learning and playing around with the boards when it was obvious what the priority was for the company (spoiler: not those kids in the pictures). Source: over 2 years ago
View more

AWS Greengrass mentions (5)

  • Orchestrating Application Workloads in Distributed Embedded Systems: Setting up a Nomad Cluster with AWS IoT Greengrass - Part 1
    In this blog post series, we will demonstrate how to use AWS IoT Greengrass and Hashicorp Nomad to seamlessly interface with multiple interconnected devices and orchestrate service deployments on them. Greengrass will allow us to view the cluster as a single "Thing" from the cloud perspective, while Nomad will serve as the primary cluster orchestration tool. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • AWS Summit 2022 Australia and New Zealand - Day 2, AI/ML Edition
    AWS IoT Greengrass allows one to manage their IOT Edge devices, download ML models locally, so that inference can then be also be done locally. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
  • Applying DevOps Principles to Robotics
    To assist in deployment and management of workloads in your fleet, it's worth taking advantage of a fleet or device management tool such as AWS GreenGrass, Formant or Rocos. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • Machine Learning Best Practices for Public Sector Organizations
    In some cases, such as with edge devices, inferencing needs to occur even when there is limited or no connectivity to the cloud. Mining fields are an example of this type of use case. AWS IoT Greengrass enables ML inference locally using models that are created, trained, and optimized in the cloud using Amazon SageMaker, AWS Deep Learning AMI, or AWS Deep Learning Containers, and deployed on the edge devices. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • Looking for a good IoT overview + a simple tutorial
    Take a look at Greengrass https://aws.amazon.com/greengrass/ Enables OTA updates and fleet management. Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Raspberry Pi and AWS Greengrass, you can also consider the following products

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

Particle.io - Particle is an IoT platform enabling businesses to build, connect and manage their connected solutions.

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

AWS IoT - Easily and securely connect devices to the cloud.

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

Azure IoT Hub - Manage billions of IoT devices with Azure IoT Hub, a cloud platform that lets you easily connect, monitor, provision, and configure IoT devices.