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Banana Pi BPI-R4 vs Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W: Comparison
Banana Pi BPI-R4 vs Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W memory compared
Start with memory, because it is the widest measured gap between them: Banana Pi BPI-R4 8 GB against Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W 512 GB, 98% in favour of Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. They differ on onboard storage too, 8GB eMMC + microSD, optional M.2 SATA/NVMe on the Banana Pi BPI-R4 versus microSD card slot on the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. Soc model is not the same on both, Quad-Core Cortex-A73 up to 2.0GHz on the Banana Pi BPI-R4 versus Broadcom BCM2710A1, Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1GHz on the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. There is a split on wireless as well, WiFi 7 on the Banana Pi BPI-R4 versus 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2/BLE on the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.
Who each one is for
Buy the Banana Pi BPI-R4 for multi-gigabit fiber home routing (2.5G-10G) and future-proof WiFi 7 OpenWrt router builds, though it is the wrong buy for standard gigabit or slower internet connections and budget-conscious router projects. Take the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W for embedded, headless, and automation projects where physical size and cost are the binding constraints. It is equally the pick for retro gaming emulation and light scripting tasks within the Raspberry Pi software ecosystem. It is the wrong buy for any computationally demanding workload, 512MB of RAM and this CPU rule out media centers, AI, or general desktop use. Our rating of the Banana Pi BPI-R4 (8.5/10): the strongest DIY OpenWrt router board for multi-gigabit fiber connections, if you actually have the bandwidth to use it. Our rating of the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W (8/10): the smallest, cheapest way into the official Pi ecosystem, bought for size and cost rather than compute.
Banana Pi BPI-R4 vs Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W price
Cost splits them too. Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W sits at $15.00, Banana Pi BPI-R4 at $189, 1160% more.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- Banana Pi BPI-R4
- Banana Pi
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
- Raspberry Pi Foundation
Model Number
- Banana Pi BPI-R4
- BPI-R4
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
Memory
- Banana Pi BPI-R4
- 8 GB-98%
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
- 512 GBBest
SoC Model
- Banana Pi BPI-R4
- Quad-Core Cortex-A73 up to 2.0GHz
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
- Broadcom BCM2710A1, Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1GHz
Wireless
- Banana Pi BPI-R4
- WiFi 7
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
- 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2/BLE
Price
- Banana Pi BPI-R4
- 189 USD
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
- 15 USD
Onboard Storage
- Banana Pi BPI-R4
- 8GB eMMC + microSD, optional M.2 SATA/NVMe
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
- microSD card slot
Which one should you pick?
Choose Banana Pi BPI-R4 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W if you want the higher memory (512 GB vs 8 GB).
Price comparison
| Retailer | Banana Pi BPI-R4 | Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $189.00 View on Consumercarts listing | $15.00 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-R4
8.5 / 10 Expert Rating
The strongest DIY OpenWrt router board for multi-gigabit fiber connections, if you actually have the bandwidth to use it.
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
8 / 10 Expert Rating
The smallest, cheapest way into the official Pi ecosystem, bought for size and cost rather than compute.