Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico: If you’re stepping into the world of microcontrollers or looking for a new board to power your projects, you’ve probably heard of both Arduino and Raspberry Pi Pico. When it comes to Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico, while they both serve as great platforms for electronics enthusiasts, there are important differences that can influence which one is best for you. In this post, we’ll look at the origins of each, clarify how the Raspberry Pi Pico differs from full-fledged Raspberry Pi computers, compare technical specifications, highlight key functional differences, break down pricing, and explore why the Raspberry Pi Pico may be the better choice for certain projects.
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Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico: What to Consider
When it comes to Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico, knowing they are both microcontrollers, it is essential how they are different in technical specs and how hard is it to build a system using each. Throughout this post, I will elaborate the differences in Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico.
Arduino and the Community
Arduino was founded in 2005 at the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea in Italy with a clear mission: make microcontrollers accessible to everyone, including artists, designers, and hobbyists. Its open-source hardware model and easy-to-use programming environment revolutionized electronics prototyping—especially for non-engineers. Before Arduino, working directly with the same microcontroller hardware often required in-depth engineering knowledge, specialized tools, and a more complex coding process. Arduino abstracted these challenges, providing a straightforward IDE, user-friendly libraries, and plenty of tutorials to help people get up to speed quickly.
The Easiness in Building
As word spread, a global community emerged—one that continues to share knowledge, code libraries, step-by-step guides, and imaginative projects. This community spirit remains one of Arduino’s greatest strengths. Newcomers benefit from extensive online resources, while seasoned tinkerers enjoy the freedom to modify both hardware and software to develop new capabilities. From educational settings to professional prototyping, Arduino thrives because of its lively ecosystem and the collaborative momentum of makers worldwide.
To let people to find their best suitable system, a number of variants of Arduino have been introduced to the market that includes the official Arduino board and third-party modules that uses Arduino design but have either additional features or more simplified for a simplest usage. This has the community to grow even bigger.
The Assistive Community
As Arduino itself has been out as an open-source project, there are numerous people online who share a great amount of resources that helps others to build without having to spend so much of time and efforts. This has been one of the greatest advantages of using Arduino in building systems, which is still true for a lot of applications.
The Out-dated System
Although Arduino has been a game-changer for bringing microcontrollers to a wider audience, it’s hard to ignore that the Atmega328P chip at the heart of many classic Arduino boards (like the Uno) is beginning to show its age. As an 8-bit microcontroller introduced years ago, it provides limited clock speed and memory compared to modern 32-bit alternatives. While it remains affordable and perfectly adequate for simple projects, its slower performance and smaller resource capacity can become bottlenecks for more complex tasks. As a result, many creators are turning to newer platforms—often just as cost-effective—that provide more processing power and memory for advanced or data-heavy applications.
Raspberry Pi Pico: An Advanced Open-Source Microcontroller with Python Support
When people hear “Raspberry Pi,” they often think of the popular series of small single-board computers capable of running a full operating system (like Linux). However, the Raspberry Pi Pico is not the same as the standard Raspberry Pi computer. Instead, the Pico is a microcontroller board introduced in January 2021 by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It’s built around their custom RP2040 chip, which offers efficient, low-power performance suited for embedded systems.
The Advanced MCU: RP2040
At the heart of the Raspberry Pi Pico is the RP2040, a 32-bit dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ microcontroller that represents a significant leap in performance compared to the classic Atmega328P used in many Arduino boards. Whereas the Atmega328P is an 8-bit MCU running at 16 MHz with limited memory, the RP2040 can run at up to 133 MHz and comes with 264 KB of on-chip RAM plus 2 MB of onboard flash—providing ample space for more complex code and data. This extra horsepower opens the door to advanced tasks and real-time operations that would overwhelm an 8-bit chip.
Additionally, the RP2040’s 32-bit architecture allows easier use of higher-level languages like MicroPython and C/C++, while enabling better handling of concurrency with its dual-core design. Overall, the Raspberry Pi Pico offers a modern, more powerful MCU platform that maintains a low price point, making it an attractive option for both beginners and experienced makers looking for greater performance without breaking the bank.
Beyond its higher clock speed and larger memory, the Raspberry Pi Pico also offers more advanced peripheral features compared to many Arduino boards. For instance, its interrupt system is designed to handle multiple sources concurrently, leveraging the dual-core architecture to manage real-time events more efficiently.
On top of that, the Pico’s Programmable I/O (PIO) blocks allow for custom hardware interfaces—enabling more flexible handling of protocols like I²C, SPI, or even custom data streams. This means tasks like I²C clock stretching, high-speed data transfers, or sophisticated event handling can be accomplished in hardware, offloading the workload from the main CPU cores. As a result, the Pico can maintain smoother performance for complex or multi-tasking applications that would otherwise strain a classic 8-bit microcontroller.
The Python Support
The support for Python—particularly MicroPython—on the Raspberry Pi Pico is a major boost for the maker community. Python is one of the most popular and beginner-friendly programming languages, widely used in education and industry alike. By allowing developers to write Pico programs in Python, it becomes much easier for newcomers to transition from high-level scripting to embedded programming. This user-friendly approach lowers the learning curve, enabling hobbyists and students to quickly prototype, experiment, and refine their ideas without getting bogged down by the complexities of lower-level languages.
Moreover, Python’s extensive ecosystem of libraries opens up countless possibilities for advanced projects, empowering a broad community of enthusiasts, educators, and professionals to innovate on a more powerful yet affordable microcontroller platform.
Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico: Why the Raspberry Pi Pico May Be a Better Choice
Higher Performance
With dual ARM Cortex-M0+ cores running up to 133 MHz, the Pico offers greater processing power than a standard Arduino Uno, allowing it to handle more complex tasks and run more resource-intensive code.
More Memory
The jump from kilobytes of flash and RAM to megabytes of flash and hundreds of kilobytes of RAM is significant. You’ll face fewer memory constraints when working with larger libraries or data sets.
MicroPython Support
The Raspberry Pi Pico comes with direct MicroPython support out of the box, perfect for those who prefer Python or want an easier introduction to coding. While Arduino boards can also run MicroPython with certain setups, the Pico’s native support is a big plus.
Cost Efficiency
At around $4 to $7, the Pico offers excellent value, especially when you need several microcontrollers for a larger project or you’re working on a tight budget.
Built-In Wireless (Pico W)
If you choose the Pico W, you get Wi-Fi built right in, sparing you the need for extra shields or boards. This makes it a top choice for IoT and network-based projects.
Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico: The Community and Resources
Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico: It is obvious that by the technical specs, Raspberry Pi Pico outperforms Arduino. However, you might also consider what are the help you can get in building systems. So far, Arduino has a broader community sharing resources compared to that of Raspberry Pi Pico that if you are not completely certain that you can build the most of the system on your own, you should first check whether or not you have access to enough of help in implementing system of your choice with Raspberry Pi Pico.
Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico: Technical Comparison
Below is a simplified comparison of popular Arduino boards (like the Arduino Uno) and the Raspberry Pi Pico.
Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico: Technical Comparison
| Feature | Arduino Uno (Atmega328P) | Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040) |
|---|---|---|
| Microcontroller | 8-bit Atmega328P | 32-bit RP2040 (Dual ARM Cortex-M0+) |
| Clock Speed | 8 MHz or 16 MHz | Up to 133 MHz |
| Flash Memory | 32 KB | 2 MB |
| RAM | 2 KB | 264 KB |
| Operating Voltage | 3.3 V or 5 V | 3.3 V |
| GPIO / I/O Pins | 14 digital, 6 analog | 26 (3.3V GPIO), 3 analog inputs |
| Connectivity | USB, Serial | USB; Pico W adds Wi-Fi |
| Interrupt Pins | 2 dedicated hardware interrupts (pins 2 & 3), plus pin-change interrupts on others | All GPIOs can trigger interrupts; up to 26 available |
| Programming Language | C/C++ (Arduino IDE), optional Python libraries | C/C++ via Pico SDK, MicroPython support |
By the technical specs, Raspberry Pi Pico outperforms Arduino system across all aspects by far. Raspberry Pi Pico has higher bits, higher clock speed, higher memory, higher number of inturrupt pins, and so on. It’s true that the Raspberry Pi Foundation has done a great work designing their own chip, but the majority of the difference come from the fact that the MCU used in Arduino, Atmega328, is little too out-dated as they came out in early 1990s. (Atmega328P, which came out more recently, is a slightly modified version of the original version.)
Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico: Is Raspberry Pi Pico proportionally more expensive?
Surprisingly, no. Raspberry Pi Pico tends to be cheaper or in equal price. As of today, the official Arduino Uno board on Amazon costs about $20 each, while a third-party Uno-compatible product might set you back around $9. By contrast, the official Raspberry Pi Pico board on Amazon is priced at about $7, making it an even more attractive choice given its stronger specifications and dual-core performance.
Conclusion
When comparing Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico, each platform brings distinct strengths to the table. Arduino’s well-established ecosystem, extensive library support, and massive community make it a natural entry point for beginners and professionals alike.
However, when stacking up Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico on performance and price, the Pico often comes out ahead, thanks to its dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor, larger memory, and lower cost. If you’re choosing between Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico for a new project, consider whether you need the simplicity and familiarity of Arduino or the advanced features and affordability of the Pico. By aligning your project goals with the right microcontroller, you’ll ensure a smoother development process and more room to experiment, innovate, and succeed.
If you’re debating Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico for your next build, ask yourself what matters most: Is it the simplicity and community backing of Arduino, or the cutting-edge performance and low cost of the Raspberry Pi Pico? Whether you’re prototyping, learning to code, or building advanced IoT devices, understanding the strengths of Arduino vs Raspberry Pi Pico will help you make the right choice and set your project up for success.