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Banana Pi BPI-M5 vs Orange Pi CM4: Comparison
What is the difference between Banana Pi BPI-M5 and Orange Pi CM4?
They are built to different briefs, and gpu model shows it, Banana Pi BPI-M5 Mali-G31 MP2 against Orange Pi CM4 Mali-G52 2EE. Orange Pi CM4 also leads on memory, 4 GB on the Banana Pi BPI-M5 versus 8 GB on the Orange Pi CM4.
Banana Pi BPI-M5 vs Orange Pi CM4: which one fits your build
Buy the Banana Pi BPI-M5 for 4K media center boxes (Kodi/LibreELEC) and budget GPIO projects needing a Pi 4-style header, though it is the wrong buy for projects requiring official Raspberry Pi OS support and AI/ML workloads needing an onboard NPU. The Orange Pi CM4 is the one to take for cost-sensitive custom carrier-board projects and small hobbyist products needing basic NPU vision, though it is not built for industrial products needing guaranteed long-term supply and anyone wanting the Raspberry Pi CM4's carrier-board ecosystem. Our rating of the Banana Pi BPI-M5 (6.9/10): A solid, GPIO-compatible Pi alternative for media and general tinkering, though the driver ecosystem needs more patience than the official Raspberry Pi line. Our rating of the Orange Pi CM4 (6.5/10): A budget-friendly CM4-style module with a useful NPU bonus, best suited to cost-sensitive hobby products rather than anything needing long-term industrial support.
Which is cheaper, Banana Pi BPI-M5 or Orange Pi CM4?
The Banana Pi BPI-M5 asks 86% more, $65.00 against $35.00 for the Orange Pi CM4.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, cpu architecture, storage type, wireless and use case included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Banana Pi BPI-M5 and Orange Pi CM4 differ on gpio header?
Yes. GPIO Header reads Yes on the Banana Pi BPI-M5 versus No on the Orange Pi CM4.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- Banana Pi
- Orange Pi CM4
- Orange Pi
CPU Architecture
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- ARM
- Orange Pi CM4
- ARM
Model Number
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- BPI-M5
- Orange Pi CM4
- Orange Pi CM4
Memory
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- 4 GB-50%
- Orange Pi CM4
- 8 GBBest
Storage Type
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- eMMC
- Orange Pi CM4
- eMMC
SoC Model
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- Amlogic S905X3, Quad-Core Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz
- Orange Pi CM4
- Rockchip RK3566, Quad-Core Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz
Has AI Accelerator / NPU
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- No
- Orange Pi CM4
- Yes
Wireless
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- WiFi 5
- Orange Pi CM4
- WiFi 5
GPIO Header
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- Yes
- Orange Pi CM4
- No
Price
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- 65 USD
- Orange Pi CM4
- 35 USD
Use Case
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- General Purpose
- Orange Pi CM4
- General Purpose
GPU Model
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- Mali-G31 MP2
- Orange Pi CM4
- Mali-G52 2EE
Power Input
- Banana Pi BPI-M5
- 5V/3A USB-C
- Orange Pi CM4
- Carrier-board dependent, typically 5V
Which one should you pick?
Choose Banana Pi BPI-M5 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose Orange Pi CM4 if you want the higher memory (8 GB vs 4 GB).
Price comparison
| Retailer | Banana Pi BPI-M5 | Orange Pi CM4 |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $65.00 View on Consumercarts listing | $35.00 View on Consumercarts listing |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
Banana Pi BPI-M5
6.9 / 10 Expert Rating
A solid, GPIO-compatible Pi alternative for media and general tinkering, though the driver ecosystem needs more patience than the official Raspberry Pi line.
Orange Pi CM4
6.5 / 10 Expert Rating
A budget-friendly CM4-style module with a useful NPU bonus, best suited to cost-sensitive hobby products rather than anything needing long-term industrial support.