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Home Software Development Software Development Tutorials Top Differences Tutorial Raspberry Pi Zero vs 3

Raspberry Pi Zero vs 3

Priya Pedamkar
Article byPriya Pedamkar

Updated May 6, 2023

Raspberry Pi Zero vs 3

Difference Between Raspberry Pi Zero vs 3

Raspberry Pi is a small single-board series of a computer which is based out of the United Kingdom. The Raspberry Pi Foundation created it to promote primary computer science teaching in schools and developing countries. It is an ARM credit card-sized Single Board Computer (SBC) that runs on Debian based Linux Operating system.

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The name is raspberry pi Zero, a $5 computer and thereby a modern small computer among its competitors. This incredibly cheap computer is smaller than a credit card with the dimensions of 65mm X 30mm X 5mm with a thickness and weighing just 9 gms. This product doesn’t lack any features which its competitors have. Its single-core CPU is clocked at 1GHz, increasing the speed by 40 percent higher than the original. If you factorize based on the 512 MB, the speed can be three times higher than the original Raspberry Pi.

The new version of Raspberry Pi is Pi 3. It has onboard support for Bluetooth and wifi and a 64-bit processor. Engineers, students, and makers will find it exciting. It has enhanced USB boot capabilities, a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor, and a three times faster gigabit Ethernet internet network. Let us now understand the differences between Raspberry Pi Zero vs 3 in detail.

Head-to-Head Comparison Between Raspberry Pi Zero and 3 (Infographics)

Below is the top 34 difference between Raspberry Pi Zero vs 3:

Raspberry Pi Zero vs 3 Infographics

Key differences between Raspberry Pi Zero and 3

Let us discuss some of the significant Difference Between Raspberry Pi Zero and Raspberry Pi 3:

  1. Raspberry Pi Zero has the size of half of the Raspberry A+ model with a low-cost mini-computer. It is also less powerful, whereas Raspberry Pi 3 is the third generation computer system of the Raspberry series, which has replaced its predecessor Raspberry Pi 2 Model B.
  2. The features of Pi Zero include 1 GHz of CPU, micro USB power, 512 MB of RAM, micro USB OTG cable, mini HDMI port, composite video and reset headers, CSI camera connectors, and a HAT-compatible pin header. In contrast, Raspberry 3 has the features such as 1 GB of RAM, a total HDMI port, a micro HD card slot, an Ethernet port, four USB ports, 40 pins, and a combination of a composite video and a 3.5 mm audio jack, display and camera interface with VideoCore IV 3D graphics core.
  3. If you need an analog video output, both Raspberry Pi Zero vs 3 has different systems to cater to the needs in their own way. With Raspberry Pi Zero, you will find an unpopulated pin, whereas, in the case of Raspberry Pi 3, the shared audio pin is used.
  4. LCD panels are not supported in Raspberry Pi Zero but are kept in Raspberry Pi 3. This means a touchscreen can be added easily to the Pi 3 model as it already supports and has a dedicated connection.

Raspberry Pi Zero and Raspberry Pi 3 Comparison Table

The primary comparison between them is discussed below:

Basis of Comparison between Raspberry Pi Zero vs 3

Raspberry Pi Zero

Raspberry 3

Definition A small cheap computer that consists of a micro SD card slot, a mini-HDMI socket, and a video header The newer version of Raspberry Pi supports Bluetooth, wifi, and a 64-bit processor.
Price $5 $35
Release Date 30 Nov 2015 29 Feb 2016
Core Type ARM1176JZF-S Cortex-A53 64 bit
GPU VideoCore IV VideoCore IV 1080p@30
CPU Clock 1 GHz 1.2 GHz
RAM 512 MB 1 GB DDR2
No. of cores 1 4
Soc Type Broadcom BCM2835 Broadcom BCM2837
USB ports Micro + micro OTG 4x USB 2.0
Provision for Ethernet No Yes
HDMI port Mini port Yes
Analog Audio Out HDMI audio Yes
Analog Video Out Via unpopulated pin Shared with audio pin
I2C Yes Yes
SPI Yes Yes
GPIO 40-pin header with pinout identical to Model A+, B+, 2B 40 pins (IIC, UART, SPI, IIS (audio))
Camera Yes Yes
LCD Panel Yes No
SD/MMC Micro SD Micro SD
Bluetooth No 4.1 LE
Wifi No 802.11n
Power Ratings 160 mA 1.34A @ 5V
Power Consumption 160 mA (USB) 350 mA (USB)
Power Sources microUSB or GPIO microUSB or GPIO
Width 2.55 in (65 mm) 2.22 in (56.5 mm)
Height 1.18 in (85.6 mm) 3.37 in (85.6 mm)
Depth 0.19685 in (5 mm) 0.66929 in (17 mm)
Weight 0.31746 oz (9 gm) 1.58 oz (45 gm)
LCD Panel Not Supported Supported
OS Supported Linux Linux, Windows 10 IoT Core, Android Things
Camera Interface Yes Yes
Advantages
  • Largest and most active community
  • Extremely portable
  • Extremely Cheap
  • Easily chargeable
  • Capable of running full HD display at 60FPS
  • Official OS is easy to install
  • If OS is adequately compiled, then it is fast
  • The active and largest community
  • Built-in wifi
  • Affordable
  • Default OS is great for learning to create software
  • Great legacy gaming support
  • Easy setup
  • Fully functional multimedia center
  • Good GPIO functionality
  • A wide range of OS
  • It can be used as an everyday PC
  • Native Bluetooth Capability
  • Can perform daily operations
  • Good documentation
  • A wide range of apps available
  • Upgrading storage facility
Disadvantages
  • Difficult to find a seller selling for $5
  • No Ethernet port
  • It needs Micro-B USB to USB-A converter
  • Only two micro USB ports
  • No built-in storage
  • No built-in wifi facility
  • Combined USB and NIC controller
  • GPU and closed-source bootloader
  • Slow wifi
  • No built-in storage
  • Limited onboard NIC facilities
  • GPIO voltage too low for some projects
  • No Analog to digital converter
  • No onboard microphone
  • There is no Analog to digital converter.
  • You cannot easily boot from a USB
  • Power-hungry
  • Lacks mainlined Linux
  • ARM processor

Conclusion

There are many Raspberry products, and choosing the right product per your need can sometimes be challenging. But this should be done based on your project’s requirements and the capital you can invest. Raspberry Pi Zero can be recommended for users thinking of embedding in their mini-computer related to low power. Stay tuned to our blogs for more articles like this.

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to the top differences between Raspberry Pi Zero vs 3. Here we have discussed head-to-head comparison, key differences, infographics, and comparison tables. You may also have a look at the following  Raspberry Pi Zero vs 3 articles to learn more –

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