Last Updated on October 21, 2026 by pg@petergamma.org
The Orange Pi Zero 3:
can be found on Alexpress starting from 40 USD:
And is almost there to be a good alternative for the Rasperry Pi starting from 40 USD:
And with Armbian OS which every single board computer enthusiast needs to know it:
Armbian OS which offers as support which is as good as in the Raspberry Pi Forum:
But is the Raspberry Pi for private use not almost dead? Since who buys a single board computer which starts at 80 USD, which had such issues with availability in the past, and builds it s development on it?
Peter Gamma from www.petergamma.org has reviewed about Raspberry Pi alternatives on 566 posts:
https://petergamma.org/category/linux-pcs
And he knows what he is talking about.
Unfortunately, single board computers which are interesting for us personally start now at 80 USD at Digitec Switzerland, which is twice as much as it was before the Raspberry Pi shortage. And will not the device with the best price to power ratio win? As well as the Single Board Computer Operating System which offers the best support?
We previously had issues with devices bought on Aliexpress that they sent us faulty devices. But will not the device with the best price to power ratio win? And if the sales rates of a specific single board computer will go up, then the risk of a device which is faulty will also go down. And will not direct import from Aliexpress or eBay will win sooner or later, if it is not possible to make money anymore from SBCs? Do not Orange Pi s have one of the longest tradition to be Rasbperry Pi alternatives? They had the hardware but not the community of the developers. But is not Raspberry Pi now loosing it s community? Did not the Orange Pi 5 already demonstrate this, during the Rasbperry Pi shortage? And do we not still have a community of Rasbperry Pi users who is unhappy with Rasbperry Pi s stating from 80 USD? This different with Orange Pi s bought directly from China, which start at 40 USD.
The future of the single board computer hobby is almost there, with the Orange Pi Zero 3 and the Armbian OS, starting From 40 USD. This combination is only theoretical, and not really there yet, and functional in a satysfying way. But is it not currently one of the most interesting combination for the future of single board computer hobbyists? A single board computer for 40 USD and Armbian as an OS which has a support which is a good as the support in the Raspberry Pi forum? A combination which we had before the Raspberry Pi shortage. But is the Raspberry Pi for hobbists not nearly dead now, after all of these negative experiences with this SBC developed in the U.K?
Orange Pi is known to bring new single board computers on the market quickly, but does hardly any software development. On the other hand, Armbian is known for a good operating system for single board computer with good support and continuity. Currently we have countless Raspberry Pi alternatives scattered everywhere, which all cost 80 USD, but who buys those? Amrbian has a continuity of software development, as well as supporters at a high level.
So would not a combination of Orange SBC s with Armbian OS be a good combination?
In 2026 it seems very difficult to make money out of single board computers. And Raspberry Pi s do hardly develop further, and only very slowly:
And aren t many of those SBCs complete overkill for many applications? On the other hand we do hardly find any SBC anymore for around 40 USD, so many users as searching for.
Orange Pi s directly bought from Aliexpress could be the solution. Without warranty, without return, with a certain risk, that they are faulty. A disposable single-board computer that comes with a certain risk, but on the other hand will eventually sooner or later find a community. But a community without resellers and compliated and expensive warranties and shipping costs, and special stores. And where not all of these factors who eventually have contributed to the end of the Raspberry Pi for private use. It is eventually not possible anymore to make money out of these SBCs bought from Aliexpress. And also not possible to make money out of the software for it. But we than would have finally again a product which is intersting for developers. And then we would have again a product which is interesting also for costumers, and not only for hardare developers who develop countless Raspberry Pi alternatives no one buys.