Table of Contents
Raspberry Pi Pico & Other RP20x0
Jun 2026
If you are looking for Pico how-to's or Projects, either click Here, or select the Micro Python link at the bottom of the page.
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.