Jun 2026

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)

• 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

• 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
  
• RP2040 Zero
  
• Thonny
  
• Micro Python