Arduino remains one of the most popular development platforms ever created, especially for beginners. But depending on what you're building, it isn't always the best choice.
If you need built-in Wi-Fi, more processing power, Linux support, AI acceleration, or lower power consumption, there are several excellent alternatives worth considering.
In this guide, we'll compare the best Arduino alternatives, explain where each one excels, and help you choose the right board for your next project.
Do you need an Arduino alternative?
Plenty of people do not. Before buying anything, run through this checklist:
- Does it need Wi-Fi?
- Does it need Bluetooth?
- Does it need to run AI models?
- Does it need Linux, a desktop, or a real filesystem?
- Does it need a camera?
- Does it need more speed or memory than an 8-bit chip has?
- Does it need to run for weeks on a battery?
If every answer is no, stop reading and go build something. An UNO gives you 14 digital input/output pins (six usable as PWM outputs), six analog inputs and a 16 MHz ceramic resonator. That covers an enormous number of projects.
If you answered yes to any of these points, explore the alternatives below.
Quick comparison
How boards like Arduino compare on paper
| Platform | Best for | Wi-Fi | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arduino UNO R3 | Learning electronics | No radio on the board | Beginner |
| ESP32 | IoT and connected projects | Yes | Beginner to intermediate |
| Raspberry Pi 5 | Linux, cameras, AI | Yes, dual-band 802.11ac | Intermediate |
| Raspberry Pi Pico 2 | Small embedded projects | No radio on the board | Beginner to intermediate |
| MicroPython boards | People who prefer Python | Depends on the board | Beginner to intermediate |
| Teensy 4.1 | Raw speed, audio, USB | Add an ESP module on a serial port | Intermediate to advanced |
| STM32 | Production and industrial work | Depends on the part | Advanced |
The Difficulty column is our judgement from working with these boards, not a measurement, so treat it as a starting opinion rather than fact. The Wi-Fi column names a specific board on purpose. "Arduino has no Wi-Fi" is not true of the whole family, and neither is "Pico has no Wi-Fi". Each row answers for the exact board named.
1. ESP32 (best overall Arduino alternative)
Only making one swap? Make it an ESP32. It is a hybrid Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that runs as a complete standalone system or sits alongside a host MCU, and the radio becomes part of the board instead of an add-on shield.
The newer ESP32-C6 integrates 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 and the 802.15.4 protocol on a 32-bit RISC-V processor clocked up to 160 MHz. That 802.15.4 support is what lets a board speak Thread and Zigbee, the protocols most smart-home gear runs on.
So ESP32 projects tend to look like this:
- A Home Assistant sensor. ESPHome devices work out of the box with Home Assistant, so you configure rather than write firmware.
- Anything using MQTT, an OASIS standard messaging protocol for the Internet of Things.
- A weather station that posts readings instead of storing them.
- A small web server running on the board itself.
The NULA Mini ESP32-C6 is a compact IoT development board with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth. Deep sleep draws 7 µA, a Qwiic connector takes plug-and-play sensors, and you program it with Arduino or MicroPython.
ESP32 is also a strong choice when the project needs a small connected display. For example, you can use an ESP32-based board to collect sensor data, publish it over MQTT, or update a low-power e-paper dashboard that shows weather, room status, calendar data, or Home Assistant information.
2. Raspberry Pi (best for Linux projects)
A Raspberry Pi is a different kind of machine. The Pi 5 runs a Broadcom BCM2712, a 2.4 GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 CPU. Memory comes in 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB and 16 GB options, with dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi on the board. That is a small computer, not a microcontroller.
Reach for one when your project wants a filesystem, several programs at once, or a display server:
- Vision work. The Raspberry Pi AI Camera pairs a 12-megapixel CMOS sensor with on-board inferencing acceleration for common neural network models, so you can run those models without a separate accelerator.
- A home server for files, backups or a dashboard.
- Camera projects where you want to store and process the video, not just capture it.
- Dashboards that render a real web page.
The trade: a Pi boots an operating system. Startup takes tens of seconds, it does not like losing power mid-write, and precise timing is harder than on a microcontroller. For a project that reads one sensor and sleeps, it is the wrong tool.
A Raspberry Pi can also be useful when the display project needs more than a microcontroller can comfortably handle. If you want to pull data from APIs, run local scripts, process files, or build a more advanced dashboard, the Pi can handle the logic while an e-paper display shows the final information in a calm, always-visible format.
3. Raspberry Pi Pico
The Pico sits between the two. The Raspberry Pi Pico 2 is a microcontroller board built on the RP2350, a chip Raspberry Pi describes as a new family offering major enhancements over the RP2040. It runs dual Cortex-M33 or Hazard3 processors at 150 MHz with 520 kB of on-chip SRAM in ten independent banks.
The RP2040 is the earlier chip: low-cost, dual Cortex-M0+ cores, 264 kB of SRAM. The RP2350 is newer, with more memory, faster cores and a RISC-V option. Both target small embedded jobs where you want a microcontroller's predictable timing rather than an operating system.
Want that silicon with more around it? The NULA Max RP2350 is built on the dual Cortex-M33 RP2350B with 520 kB of on-chip SRAM, keeps the familiar Arduino form factor, and adds DVI output, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth plus programmable I/O. Two things to know before ordering: it is not 1:1 compatible with Arduino UNO shields, and its GPIO is 3.3 V, not 5 V tolerant.
4. NULA (best Arduino-compatible alternative)
You don't always need to leave the Arduino ecosystem. Sometimes the right pick is an Arduino UNO alternative rather than a replacement: the same ecosystem and the same libraries, on a board built and documented the way you would like.
For battery-powered projects there is the NULA DeepSleep ESP32-S3, a low-power development board that idles at 7 µA in deep sleep. A PCF85063A real-time clock keeps time while the processor sleeps, and an on-board TP4056M Li-Ion/Li-Po charger means you can run and charge a cell without extra electronics.
Do the back-of-the-envelope yourself. Li-Ion cell holds 2100 mAh, plugs straight into the board's JST connector. Divide that capacity by the board's 7 µA deep sleep draw and the arithmetic gives roughly 300,000 hours.
Treat that as a ceiling, not a runtime. The figure assumes the board never wakes and ignores the cell's own self-discharge. What you actually get depends on how often you wake, how long you stay awake and what the radio does while it is on. Keep wake time short and the same arithmetic still leaves you north of 100,000 hours. Wake often or leave the radio on, and the number collapses fast.
Documentation is the other half of the argument, and it is easier to check than to claim. Every NULA board has its own pages: an overview, hardware details and a getting-started guide for Arduino. The DeepSleep is programmable from Arduino, ESP-IDF and MicroPython, so no single toolchain owns you.
5. Teensy
Teensy is what you buy when the processor is the bottleneck. The Teensy 4.1 runs an ARM Cortex-M7 at 600 MHz with 7936K Flash and 1024K RAM, 512K of it tightly coupled, plus 10/100 Mbit Ethernet via a DP83825 PHY.
Audio is the other reason. USB Audio on the Teensy is built to work with the Teensy Audio Library, which is why so many DIY synths, effects boxes and samplers are Teensy projects.
Wireless is the gap. PJRC's answer is the serial ports: eight of them, for MIDI gear, GPS receivers and ESP wireless modules. Radio on a Teensy is a module you add, not something already on the board.
6. STM32
STM32 is the family you meet when a project turns into a product. ST's range of 32-bit microcontrollers is built on the Arm Cortex-M processor and spans a very wide spread of parts, packages and price points.
The appeal is choice and longevity: pick the exact peripherals and pin count you need, and the part stays available for years. The cost is tooling that assumes you know what you are doing. Nobody starts here.
7. Adafruit Feather
Feather is a form factor as much as a board. Feathers plug into a breadboard, carry built-in battery connectors for portable projects, and most include a lipoly charger. If your project has to leave the desk and run on a cell, that saves you a charging circuit.
Many Feathers run CircuitPython, a language built to make experimenting and learning to code on low-cost microcontroller boards simpler. You edit a file on the board and it runs. For a first wireless project, that loop is hard to beat.
8. Seeed XIAO
XIAO is the answer when the enclosure is the constraint. The Seeed Studio XIAO series is a collection of thumb-sized microcontroller units made for space-conscious projects that still need performance and wireless connectivity. Wearables, badges, anything that has to hide inside something else.
Which alternative is right for your project?
Boards are easier to choose by project than by spec sheet.
| What you are building | What to reach for |
|---|---|
| A Home Assistant node | ESP32. ESPHome devices work with Home Assistant out of the box |
| Robotics | Arduino, or ESP32 if it has to talk to anything |
| Vision and AI | Raspberry Pi, with the AI Camera doing inference on the sensor |
| A weather station | ESP32, so the readings go somewhere |
| A battery-powered display | An Inkplate |
| Learning electronics | NULA, or the Embedded Journey Kit |
If you are building a portable display in any part of your project display that runs on battery wants e-paper, which only draws power when the image changes. The Inkplate 6FLICK is a 1024x758 pixel e-paper screen with greyscale and partial updates that updates in less than 1second (225ms for 1-bit and 1.26s for 3-bit greyscale).
For learning, a board on its own leaves you hunting for parts. NULA means zero in Croatian, which is where the Embedded Journey Kit starts you: built around the NULA Mini ESP32-C6 with plug-and-play modules including a 16x2 LCD, an HC-SR04 distance sensor and an SHTC3 temperature and humidity sensor.
Should beginners still start with Arduino?
Usually, yes. Arduino has been around long enough that whatever you get stuck on has probably been written up already, and the libraries you need probably exist. That head start matters more at the beginning than any spec.
When an Arduino replacement is worth it up front
One clear exception. If you already know your project is a Home Assistant sensor, needs Wi-Fi or talks MQTT, starting on a radio-less Arduino board just means porting later. Start on an ESP32 and skip the migration.
"Start with Arduino" also does not have to mean an Arduino-branded board. An Arduino-compatible board runs the same IDE and the same libraries, so the ecosystem stays with you either way.
Why Soldered offers multiple development platforms
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Beginner learning vs. modern IoT: Broad educational ecosystems demand simple pin layouts, while connected hardware requires modern protocols like Wi-Fi 6, Thread, and Bluetooth.
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Ultra-low power vs. processing power: Long-term battery nodes need minimal sleep currents, whereas display-heavy or multi-tasking applications require high-frequency multi-core chips.
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Microcontrollers vs. single-board computers: Embedded hardware provides instant boot times and deterministic execution, while Linux-capable platforms handle heavy software stacks, AI vision, and filesystems.
Why Arduino competitors are not all after the same job
A first-time maker wants a 5 V board with forgiving pins and plenty of tutorials, which is NULA Core. The smart-home sensor wants Wi-Fi 6 and Thread in a footprint that fits a small case: the NULA Mini. Battery projects want microamps at rest and a clock that keeps running, the NULA DeepSleep. And a project driving a display over DVI with Arduino IDE compatibility wants the NULA Max. Same ecosystem, four different answers.
No single winner
The best board depends entirely on your specific project requirements. If you try one alternative first, make it an ESP32: it removes the limitation Arduino users hit hardest. Need Linux? The Raspberry Pi is the right call. Timing or speed? A Pico or a Teensy. And if the ecosystem is what you value, staying Arduino-compatible is a perfectly good answer.
Pick the board for the project in front of you, not the spec sheet. You can always buy the other one later, and most of us have.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Arduino alternative?
For most people, an ESP32 board. It keeps the Arduino workflow and puts Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the chip itself, the limitation Arduino projects hit first.
Is ESP32 better than Arduino?
It is faster and it has radios, and the ESP32-C6 adds Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 (LE) and 802.15.4. Whether that is "better" depends on the project. For learning basic electronics, a board that operates at 5 V is more forgiving of a miswired jumper.
Can Raspberry Pi replace Arduino?
Sometimes. A Raspberry Pi 5 is a quad-core 64-bit computer, so it wins on processing and loses on boot time and predictable timing. Many projects use both: the Pi does the thinking, a microcontroller does the pin wiggling.
Are Arduino clones worth buying?
An Arduino clone, or more politely an Arduino-compatible board, runs the same IDE and the same libraries, so the software side is identical. Makers differ on documentation, support and build quality. Compare those before you buy.
Which board is best for IoT?
An ESP32 board. The ESP32-C6 speaks Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 (LE) and 802.15.4 concurrently, and MQTT, the standard IoT messaging protocol, runs comfortably on it.
Which board is easiest for beginners?
An Arduino-compatible board, and ideally one whose pins tolerate a miswired jumper. NULA Core operates at 5 V and gives you 22 I/O pins with an ATmega328P inside, and the Embedded Journey Kit adds the sensors and components to go with it.
What is the best Arduino-compatible board?
Depends on what you are adding. NULA Core for the classic 8-bit experience, NULA Mini for Wi-Fi 6 in a small footprint, NULA Max for dual Cortex-M33 cores and DVI output.
What should I buy instead of Arduino?
Run the checklist at the top. Wi-Fi means ESP32. Linux, cameras or AI means Raspberry Pi. Small and battery-powered means a low-power ESP32 board like the NULA DeepSleep. Nothing on the list means Arduino was already the right answer.
