Raspberry Pi Pico

Jun 2026

Introduction

The Raspberry Pi Pico is completely different to the previous generations of Raspberry Pi computers. The main difference between a Raspberry Pi 5 and a Raspberry Pi Pico is that they are two completely different classes of devices designed for totally different purposes.

Raspberry Pi 5 = a full computer (runs Linux, HDMI, USB, Wi‑Fi, multitasking)

Raspberry Pi Pico = a microcontroller (runs tiny programs, no OS, ultra‑low power)

Raspberry Pi Vx — a full single‑board computer (SBC)

Runs a full operating system (Raspberry Pi OS / Linux)

Works like a tiny desktop PC

Has HDMI, USB 3.0, Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet

Can run browsers, servers, databases, GUIs, Python apps, etc.

CPU: Quad‑core 2.4 GHz

RAM: 4–16 GB

Designed for: computing, media, robotics, servers, learning Linux

Raspberry Pi Pico — a microcontroller board

Runs one program at a time (no OS)

Programmed in MicroPython or C/C++

No HDMI, no OS, no multitasking

Ultra‑low power, instant boot

CPU: Dual‑core 133 MHz

RAM: 264 KB

Designed for: sensors, GPIO control, embedded electronics, IoT

This aligns with comparisons showing the Pi 5 is dramatically faster (36× CPU speed), has gigabytes of RAM, and supports 64‑bit computing, while the Pico is tiny and optimized for embedded tasks.

Raspberry Pi Pico Hardware

Raspberry Pi Pico Pinouts

Thonny

Micro Python