Orange Pi 5 Plus vs Raspberry Pi 5
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
The Orange Pi 5 Plus is a single‑board computer built around the Rockchip RK3588 SoC, delivering up to 8 CPU cores and a Mali‑G610 GPU for demanding workloads. It supports a full desktop Linux experience and can run AI inference, media transcoding, and edge‑computing tasks. Equipped with dual 2.5 Gb Ethernet ports and an M.2 slot for NVMe SSDs, the board offers high‑speed networking and fast local storage, making it ideal for network‑attached storage, media servers, and industrial gateways.
The Raspberry Pi 5 is the latest generation of the popular single-board computer, offering a significant performance jump over previous models thanks to its new quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 processor. It remains credit-card sized while supporting dual 4K display output, faster networking, and PCIe expansion. It is widely used for home automation, retro gaming emulation, media centers, robotics, and as an affordable Linux desktop, backed by a large community and the official Raspberry Pi OS. With GPIO pins for hardware projects and a mature software ecosystem, it remains the default choice for hobbyist electronics and educational computing.
Starting at $60 for the 4GB model.
- High‑performance RK3588 SoC
- Dual 2.5 Gb Ethernet for fast networking
- M.2 NVMe slot for rapid storage
- Rich I/O including HDMI 2.1 and USB‑C
- Significant performance improvement over Pi 4
- Huge community and documentation
- Affordable for the capability offered
- Extensive GPIO for hardware projects
- Limited official Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth options
- Higher power consumption than lower‑end SBCs
- Software support still maturing for some peripherals
- Requires separate purchase of case, power supply, storage
- Availability can be limited at launch
- Needs active cooling under sustained load
More alternatives & similar tools
Alternatives to Orange Pi 5 Plus
View all →Alternatives to Raspberry Pi 5
View all →A powerful credit-card-sized computer designed for makers, educators, and hobbyists.
A pocket-sized x86 single-board computer running Windows and Linux with an integrated Arduino co-processor.
The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataThe Orange Pi 5 Plus offers higher raw performance and faster networking/storage, while the Raspberry Pi 5 provides a cheaper, community‑supported platform with broader software ecosystem.
Key differences
- •CPU: Orange Pi 5 Plus uses an RK3588 octa‑core up to 2.4 GHz vs. Raspberry Pi 5’s quad‑core Cortex‑A76.
- •Networking: Orange Pi 5 Plus has dual 2.5 Gb Ethernet; Raspberry Pi 5 has single Gigabit Ethernet plus Wi‑Fi 5.
- •Storage expansion: Orange Pi 5 Plus includes an M.2 NVMe slot (up to 3 GB/s); Raspberry Pi 5 only offers PCIe 2.0 for add‑ons, no built‑in NVMe.
- •Price: Raspberry Pi 5 starts around $60; Orange Pi 5 Plus price not specified, implying higher cost.
- •Open‑source: Raspberry Pi 5 is open source; Orange Pi 5 Plus is not.
Performance
Orange Pi 5 Plus’s RK3588 octa‑core (2.4 GHz) outpaces Raspberry Pi 5’s quad‑core Cortex‑A76.
Build quality
Both are SBCs with similar dimensions; no specific build quality data provided.
Connectivity
Dual 2.5 Gb Ethernet and M.2 slot on Orange Pi 5 Plus beat Pi 5’s single Gigabit Ethernet + Wi‑Fi 5.
Power & efficiency
Orange Pi 5 Plus notes higher power consumption; Pi 5 has no such drawback mentioned.
Compatibility
Raspberry Pi 5 is open source with extensive community support; Orange Pi 5 Plus lacks open‑source status.
Pricing & value
Pi 5 starts at $60; Orange Pi 5 Plus price not disclosed, likely higher.
Warranty & support
Pi 5 benefits from large community forums and documentation; Orange Pi 5 Plus support details not provided.
Choose Orange Pi 5 Plus if…
Edge‑AI, media server, or high‑throughput networking where performance outweighs cost.
Choose Raspberry Pi 5 if…
Education, hobby projects, or budget‑conscious builds needing strong community help.
Common questions
Which board is cheaper to start with?
Raspberry Pi 5 starts at about $60; Orange Pi 5 Plus price is not specified, implying a higher entry cost.
Do both boards support Wi‑Fi?
Raspberry Pi 5 includes Wi‑Fi 5; Orange Pi 5 Plus lists only Ethernet and notes limited official Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth options.
Can I add fast NVMe storage to either board?
Only Orange Pi 5 Plus provides an M.2 NVMe slot (up to 3 GB/s); Raspberry Pi 5 requires external solutions via PCIe.
