Raspberry Pi 5 16GB price hiked to $385, more than triple its launch price — makers are already shifting to Pico/ESP32 for small projects, mini PCs for more ambitious tasks
Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton has announced price increases for the 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 and Compute Module 5, citing steep rises in the cost of memory over the past two years. The 16GB Pi 5 retails at $385, up $80 from its previous price, while the 16GB Compute Module 5 increases to $175, up $40. The increases are effective immediately.
Upton framed the decision as necessary due to "the steep rises in the cost of memory over the past two years," noting that other computer makers have had to make similar pricing decisions recently. The Raspberry Pi 500+ all-in-one desktop, which also features a 16GB model, will maintain its existing price point.
The price adjustments follow a series of increases affecting Raspberry Pi products since memory costs began climbing. Only a month prior, Upton announced price increases for the 2GB Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5, which rose by $12.50 each to $67.50 and $77.50, respectively. The 16GB Pi 5 has seen significant price growth since its launch at $120, while the Compute Module 5 increased from $135.
Upton advised customers to ensure they are not paying for more memory than needed for their applications. The price increases coincide with a noted shift in the maker community toward cheaper alternatives. For small DIY projects, many are turning to Raspberry Pi Pico and ESP32 boards. For more ambitious tasks, entry-level x86 single-board computers and mini PCs are becoming viable alternatives, offering stronger CPU, GPU and NPU performance along with greater flexibility and expandability.
The pricing changes underscore the broader challenge facing the single-board computer market, where products originally designed around a strict $25-$35 budget constraint now approach price points of $400 or more for high-memory configurations.
