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Orange Pi 5 Plus vs Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against single-board computers at a similar price

The Orange Pi 5 Plus scores 7.4/10 overall, ahead of the Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ at 6.5/10.

The Orange Pi 5 Plus leads on performance, storage, I/O and networking and value.

The Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ leads on software support.

The biggest difference is software support, where the Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ scores 10/10 to the Orange Pi 5 Plus's 5/10.

Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+

Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+

6.5/10verdict: good, not the best

The Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ is for people who want a small, low-power board for a single, light job. It suits wireless projects that use the 40-pin GPIO header, a display or a camera. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs wired networking, several USB devices or much memory.

Typically about £22.86 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightOrange Pi 5 PlusRaspberry Pi 3 Model A+
Software support30%5/1010/10
Performance25%9/105/10
Storage15%9/104/10
I/O and networking15%8/105/10
Value15%7/106/10
Overall7.4/106.5/10

Specifications

SpecOrange Pi 5 PlusRaspberry Pi 3 Model A+
Processor (SoC)Rockchip RK3588 (8nm), four Cortex-A76 cores up to 2.4GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores up to 1.8GHz, Mali-G610 MP4 GPU, 6 TOPS NPUBroadcom BCM2837B0, quad-core Cortex-A53 64-bit SoC at 1.4 GHz
Memory4GB, 8GB, 16GB or 32GB (optional configurations)512MB LPDDR2 SDRAM
Storage optionsQSPI NOR flash 16MB/32MB, microSD slot, eMMC module socket (16GB to 256GB modules), M.2 M-key PCIe 3.0 x4 slotMicro SD card slot for OS and data; no onboard eMMC or M.2/NVMe connector found in sources
NetworkingTwo 2.5G Ethernet ports; Wi-Fi/Bluetooth only via M.2 E-key module (not on board)2.4GHz and 5GHz 802.11b/g/n/ac wireless LAN, Bluetooth 4.2/BLE; no Ethernet port
GPIO40-pin expansion header (Raspberry Pi compatible) with GPIO, I2C, UART, SPI, CAN and PWMExtended 40-pin GPIO header
Video outputsTwo HDMI outputs, one HDMI input, HDMI 2.1 8K output, Type-C DP1.4A, MIPI DSIOne full-size HDMI port, DSI display port, CSI camera port, 4-pole stereo/composite port
Power inputUSB-C power input, recommended 5V/4A supply; no USB PD negotiation5V/2.5A DC via micro USB, or 5V DC via GPIO header

Strengths and weaknesses

Orange Pi 5 Plus

  • + Dual 2.5GbE ports and an M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 slot
  • + RK3588 with RAM options up to 32GB
  • + Owners praise its low price for the hardware
  • − Mainline Linux is listed as not supported
  • − Heavy sustained loads need a heatsink or active cooling
  • − Wi-Fi and Bluetooth need an extra M.2 E-key module

Skip it if:

  • Beginners who want Raspberry Pi level software polish and community help
  • Anyone who needs mainline Linux support
  • Buyers who need built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth without adding a module
Read the full Orange Pi 5 Plus review ›

Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+

  • + Compact board with low idle power draw
  • + Dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 built in
  • + Extended 40-pin GPIO header plus HDMI, DSI and CSI ports
  • − No Ethernet port; wireless networking only
  • − Single USB 2.0 port limits peripherals
  • − 512MB RAM and micro SD only

Skip it if:

  • Anyone who needs a wired Ethernet connection for a server or network appliance
  • Buyers who plan to run heavier apps or several services at once
  • People who need more than one USB port or storage beyond a micro SD card
Read the full Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ review ›

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