Match the SoC to the Job

An RK3588 (BPI-M7, BPI-W3) is desktop class and handles 8K decode, multiple displays and on-device AI. An RK3576 (BPI-M5 Pro) gives you most of that at lower cost and power. Allwinner H618 and Amlogic S905X3 boards are Cortex-A53/A55 class: fine for media, IoT gateways, Home Assistant and learning Linux, but not for heavy compiling or AI. The MT7988A on the BPI-R4 is a network processor, not a general purpose desktop chip.

Software Support Matters Most

Before buying, open the board’s page on docs.banana-pi.org and check which images exist and how recent they are, then check whether Armbian lists the board. Older boards with a large community, such as the BPI-M5, often run better today than brand new ones. RK3576 and RK3588 boards usually rely on Rockchip’s vendor kernel for NPU and hardware video acceleration.

eMMC, NVMe and Real Storage

Every board here has onboard eMMC, which is faster and far more reliable than a microSD card. For serious work look for an M.2 Key M slot: the BPI-M7 and BPI-W3 offer PCIe 3.0 x4, the BPI-M5 Pro PCIe 2.0 x1 and the BPI-R4 PCIe 3.0 x1. An NVMe SSD turns a board into a usable NAS, build server or desktop.

Networking and Wireless

If the board sits in a network rack, count ports: the BPI-M7 has two 2.5GbE, the BPI-M5 Pro and BPI-M2S have two GbE, and the BPI-R4 has two 10GbE SFP cages plus four GbE. Also check wireless, because the BPI-M5 has no onboard Wi-Fi at all and the BPI-R4 needs a separate Wi-Fi 7 card.

Power Input and Cooling

The BPI-M7 and BPI-M5 Pro want a USB-C PD supply at 9V, 12V or 15V, and a cheap 5V phone charger will not boot them properly. The BPI-R4 needs a 12V or 19V barrel supply. RK3588 boards throttle without a heatsink and preferably a fan, so budget for cooling if the bundle does not include it.

The BPI-R4 is not a desktop board at all. It is an open source router platform built on the MediaTek MT7988A (Filogic 880) network processor, with a quad-core Cortex-A73 CPU, 4GB DDR4 on this listing, 8GB eMMC and 128MB SPI-NAND. The port count is the reason to buy it: two 10GbE SFP cages and four gigabit Ethernet ports, plus two mini PCIe slots for Wi-Fi 7 NICs, an M.2 Key B slot for a 5G modem and an M.2 Key M slot for NVMe storage. It runs OpenWrt, which makes it a strong base for a custom multi-gigabit router, firewall, VPN gateway or small NAS. Be clear about two things. First, Wi-Fi comes from an add-on card, so read the bundle description carefully to see whether the Wi-Fi 7 module, case and power supply are included. Second, it needs a 12V or 19V barrel supply rather than USB-C.

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The original BPI-M5 is the board most people mean when they say Banana Pi. It uses the Raspberry Pi 4 board outline and 40-pin header, so most Pi 4 cases and HATs fit, and adds things the Pi 4 never had: 16GB of onboard eMMC and four USB 3.0 ports. Inside is an Amlogic S905X3 with four Cortex-A55 cores and a Mali-G31 MP2 GPU, paired with 4GB LPDDR4. The S905X3 is a TV box chip, which is the clue to its strength: HDMI 2.1 output at 4K@60 with HDR and good hardware video decode make it a fine Kodi, LibreELEC or Android media player, and gigabit Ethernet makes it a solid Home Assistant or Pi-hole host. Because it has been around for years, Armbian and community support are more mature than on newer Banana Pi boards. The youyeetoo kit we link bundles the board with a power supply and heatsinks. Just remember there is no onboard Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so plan on Ethernet or a USB dongle.

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The BPI-W3 uses the same RK3588 as the BPI-M7 but spreads it across a much larger 148 x 100.5 mm board designed for expansion rather than portability. The listing we link has 8GB RAM and 32GB eMMC. Where the M7 is about compactness, the W3 is about interfaces: PCIe 3.0 x4 plus PCIe 2.0 x2, an M.2 E key slot for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, 2.5GbE with PoE support, two HDMI 2.1 outputs, DisplayPort 1.4, MIPI DSI and CSI, an RTC and, unusually, an HDMI 2.0 input that lets the board capture and process video from another device. It accepts either 12V DC or USB-C PD power. This is the board for video capture and streaming boxes, digital signage with multiple outputs, industrial prototypes and anyone who wants to hang PCIe cards off an ARM board. For a general purpose small computer, the M7 is the better and newer buy.

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The BPI-M4 Berry is Banana Pi’s low cost answer to the Raspberry Pi 4 layout. It runs an Allwinner H618 with four Cortex-A53 cores and a Mali-G31 GPU, with 2GB LPDDR4 and 8GB eMMC on this listing. Unlike the BPI-M5, it includes dual band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 onboard, along with gigabit Ethernet that supports PoE through an add-on HAT, four USB 2.0 ports, a full size HDMI 2.0a output up to 4K@60, an IR receiver and a 40-pin header. It is powered by a standard 5V 3A USB-C supply. The H618 is not fast, so treat this as a board for lightweight servers, IoT gateways, retro gaming front ends, kiosks, classroom Linux or a Klipper host rather than a desktop replacement. The Allwinner H618 also has decent community support thanks to its use in many TV boxes and other SBCs.

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The BPI-M2S packs two gigabit Ethernet ports onto a small 65 x 65 mm board, which makes it one of the easiest ways to build a compact two port firewall, VPN box or network monitor. The listing we link is the Amlogic A311D version with a metal case. The A311D is a hexa-core chip with four Cortex-A73 cores, two Cortex-A53 cores, a Mali-G52 MP4 GPU and a 5 TOPS NPU, paired with 4GB LPDDR4 and 16GB eMMC. It also has HDMI 2.1 output up to 4K@60, MIPI DSI and CSI connectors, a 40-pin header and optional PoE. Be careful when shopping, because the board is also sold with the cheaper S922X chip, which has 2GB RAM, no NPU and no MIPI display or camera support. Make sure the listing variant says A311D before you buy.

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The BPI-M4 Zero matches the Raspberry Pi Zero W footprint at 65 x 30 mm and is compatible with most Zero W accessories, but it swaps in a much faster Allwinner H618 quad-core Cortex-A53 chip and adds onboard eMMC. The basic kit we link has 2GB RAM and 8GB eMMC, and the listing labels its wireless module as Wi-Fi 4, so expect 2.4GHz rather than dual band on this variant; the board is also offered with up to 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC and a dual band module. You get a mini HDMI 2.0a output up to 4K@60, two USB-C ports (one host, one OTG and power), a 40-pin header and a 24-pin FPC connector that breaks out USB, 100Mbps Ethernet and audio through an add-on board. The kit includes accessories such as an antenna, GPIO header and cables. It is ideal for compact embedded builds, camera free kiosks, portable projects and anything that currently uses a Pi Zero but needs more headroom.

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Want the fastest all rounder?

The BPI-M7 gives you RK3588 performance, dual 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 6 and PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe in a Pi sized board, which suits desktops, home servers and AI work.

Building an AI camera project?

The BPI-M5 Pro offers a 6 TOPS NPU and two 4-lane MIPI CSI inputs at a much friendlier cost than RK3588 boards.

Building a router or firewall?

The BPI-R4 has two 10GbE SFP cages, four GbE ports, Wi-Fi 7 NIC slots and OpenWrt support. For a simpler two port box, the BPI-M2S is smaller.

Replacing a Raspberry Pi 4?

The BPI-M5 fits most Pi 4 cases, adds eMMC and four USB 3.0 ports, and has the most mature community support of any board here.

Need HDMI input or PCIe cards?

The BPI-W3 is the only board here with an HDMI input, and it adds PCIe 3.0 x4 plus PCIe 2.0 x2 for expansion.

On a tight budget or tiny build?

The BPI-M4 Berry is the lowest cost Pi 4 style board with Wi-Fi onboard, and the BPI-M4 Zero fits where a Pi Zero would.

Is Banana Pi better than Raspberry Pi?

On hardware, often yes. Boards like the BPI-M7 and BPI-M5 Pro offer NPUs, eMMC, dual Ethernet and faster PCIe than a Raspberry Pi in the same size. On software, no. Raspberry Pi OS, its documentation and its camera and display stack are far more polished and supported for longer. Choose Banana Pi when you need a specific hardware feature, and Raspberry Pi when you want everything to just work.

Is Banana Pi the same as Orange Pi?

No. Banana Pi and Orange Pi are separate brands made by different Chinese companies, although they often use the same chips. Both sell RK3588 and Allwinner H618 boards, for example. The practical differences come down to specific board layouts, port choices and how well each vendor maintains its Linux images, so compare the exact models and check Armbian support for both before deciding.

Which operating systems run on Banana Pi boards?

Banana Pi publishes images for most boards on docs.banana-pi.org, typically Debian, Ubuntu, Android and Buildroot, and the BPI-R series is built around OpenWrt. Many boards, including the BPI-M5, BPI-M4 Berry and RK3588 models, are also supported by Armbian, which is often the best maintained option. Always check the date of the latest image for your exact board.

Do Raspberry Pi HATs and cases fit Banana Pi boards?

Many do. Most boards here use a Raspberry Pi compatible 40-pin header, the BPI-M5 and BPI-M4 Berry follow the Pi 4 outline, and the BPI-M4 Zero follows the Pi Zero W outline. However, the port positions are not always identical, and HATs that depend on Raspberry Pi specific drivers, such as some displays and camera boards, may not work without extra software.

Which Banana Pi board is best for AI and computer vision?

For the most performance, the BPI-M7 with its RK3588 and 6 TOPS NPU. For better value, the BPI-M5 Pro with the RK3576, also rated at 6 TOPS and with two MIPI CSI camera inputs. Both use Rockchip’s RKNN toolkit, so plan to convert models to RKNN format. The BPI-M2S A311D variant has a 5 TOPS NPU, but its software ecosystem is older.