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Orange Pi 5 Plus vs Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W

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 Zero 2 W at 6.9/10.

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

The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W leads on software support.

They score the same on value.

The biggest difference is software support, where the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W scores 10/10 to the Orange Pi 5 Plus's 5/10.

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W

6.9/10verdict: buy

The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is for people who need a wireless quad-core Arm board for headless projects. It suits those replacing an original Pi Zero or building embedded and IoT jobs that need a 40-pin footprint and Bluetooth. It is a poor fit for anyone who wants a desktop, wired networking or fast storage.

Typically about £14.40 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 Zero 2 W
Software support30%5/1010/10
Performance25%9/106/10
Storage15%9/104/10
I/O and networking15%8/105/10
Value15%7/107/10
Overall7.4/106.9/10

Specifications

SpecOrange Pi 5 PlusRaspberry Pi Zero 2 W
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 BCM2710A1, quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A53 at 1GHz
Memory4GB, 8GB, 16GB or 32GB (optional configurations)512MB LPDDR2
Storage optionsQSPI NOR flash 16MB/32MB, microSD slot, eMMC module socket (16GB to 256GB modules), M.2 M-key PCIe 3.0 x4 slotmicroSD card slot only
NetworkingTwo 2.5G Ethernet ports; Wi-Fi/Bluetooth only via M.2 E-key module (not on board)2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, BLE, onboard antenna; no Ethernet
GPIO40-pin expansion header (Raspberry Pi compatible) with GPIO, I2C, UART, SPI, CAN and PWM40-pin HAT-compatible I/O header footprint, unpopulated
Video outputsTwo HDMI outputs, one HDMI input, HDMI 2.1 8K output, Type-C DP1.4A, MIPI DSIMini HDMI port; composite video via test points
Power inputUSB-C power input, recommended 5V/4A supply; no USB PD negotiationMicro USB, rated 5V DC 2.5A (supply rating)

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 Zero 2 W

  • + Quad-core 1GHz CPU is a clear step up from the original Zero
  • + Drop-in replacement for the original Zero, easing migration
  • + Wi-Fi is competent and the onboard antenna is decent
  • − 512MB RAM hampers web browsing
  • − Runs hot under load and needs cooling
  • − No Ethernet, no 5GHz Wi-Fi, header pins unpopulated

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need wired Ethernet or 5GHz Wi-Fi
  • Anyone wanting a browser-based desktop with 512MB of RAM
  • Buyers who need fast storage or USB 3 peripherals
Read the full Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W review ›

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