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.