Best Raspberry Pi Alternatives for Servers

Quick Recommendation

Skip ARM SBCs and get an Intel N100 mini PC instead. For $130–160, you get 4x the performance, full x86 compatibility (every Docker image works), NVMe storage, and 16 GB RAM. The Raspberry Pi 5 costs $80 for the board alone — add a case, PSU, SD card/SSD, and you’re at $120–150 with worse performance and ARM compatibility headaches.

If you specifically want an ARM SBC (GPIO projects, extreme low power, education), the Orange Pi 5 or ODROID-M1S are better value than the Raspberry Pi 5.

Why People Look for Alternatives

The Raspberry Pi has real limitations for self-hosting:

Limitation	Impact
ARM architecture	Some Docker images don’t have ARM builds (linux/arm64). You’ll hit this regularly.
Max 8 GB RAM	Can’t run more than 10–15 containers comfortably
SD card storage (default)	Slow, unreliable for 24/7 use, SD cards die
No SATA/NVMe (Pi 4)	USB storage is the only expansion (Pi 5 has M.2 HAT)
Limited compute	No hardware transcoding for Plex/Jellyfin
Availability	Chronic supply issues (improved in 2025–2026 but historically unreliable)
Total cost after accessories	$120–150 for a usable setup — same as an x86 mini PC

The Alternatives

Tier 1: x86 Mini PCs (Recommended)

These aren’t SBCs — they’re complete computers in a tiny box. Better than any ARM SBC for self-hosting.

Device	CPU	RAM	Storage	Power	Price
Beelink EQ14	Intel N150 4C/4T	16 GB DDR4	500 GB NVMe	6–8W	~$160
Beelink S12 Pro	Intel N100 4C/4T	16 GB DDR5	500 GB NVMe	6–8W	~$140
MeLE Quieter 4C	Intel N100 4C/4T	8 GB LPDDR5	256 GB eMMC	6–8W	~$130
GMKtec M7 Pro	Intel N150 4C/4T	16 GB DDR4	512 GB NVMe	6–8W	~$150

Why these win: Full x86_64 compatibility, NVMe storage included, 16 GB RAM, hardware transcoding (QuickSync), complete system with case/PSU. Same power draw as a Raspberry Pi under load. Every Docker image works without ARM compatibility issues.

Tier 2: ARM SBCs (If You Need ARM)

Device	SoC	Cores	RAM	Storage	Power	Price
Orange Pi 5	RK3588S	8C (4+4)	4–16 GB	M.2 NVMe + eMMC	5–10W	$60–110
Orange Pi 5 Plus	RK3588	8C (4+4)	8–32 GB	M.2 NVMe + eMMC	5–15W	$90–150
ODROID-M1S	RK3566	4C A55	4–8 GB	M.2 NVMe + eMMC	3–5W	$45–55
Raspberry Pi 5	BCM2712	4C A76	4–8 GB	SD + M.2 (HAT)	4–8W	$60–80
Rock 5B	RK3588	8C (4+4)	4–16 GB	M.2 NVMe + eMMC	5–12W	$80–140
Banana Pi BPI-M7	RK3588	8C (4+4)	8–32 GB	M.2 NVMe	5–12W	$90–160
Libre Computer ROC-RK3588S-PC	RK3588S	8C (4+4)	4–16 GB	M.2 NVMe	5–10W	$75–120

Tier 3: Thin Clients (Used, Cheap)

Device	CPU	RAM	Storage	Power	Price (Used)
HP t630	AMD GX-420GI 4C	4–8 GB	32 GB SSD	10–15W	$30–50
HP t740	AMD Ryzen V1756B 4C/8T	8–32 GB	NVMe + SATA	15–25W	$60–100
Dell Wyse 5070	Pentium J5005 4C	4–16 GB	M.2 + 2.5”	8–12W	$30–50
Lenovo M720q Tiny	i5-8500T 6C	8–32 GB	NVMe + 2.5”	15–25W	$60–90

Used thin clients are the secret value pick. An HP t740 with a Ryzen V1756B at $70 used gives you better performance than a Raspberry Pi 5, x86 compatibility, expandable RAM, and NVMe + SATA storage.

Comparison: Raspberry Pi 5 vs Alternatives

Feature	Raspberry Pi 5	Orange Pi 5	Intel N100 Mini PC	HP t740 (Used)
Architecture	ARM64	ARM64	x86_64	x86_64
CPU (Geekbench multi)	~2,500	~4,000	~4,500	~3,500
Max RAM	8 GB	16 GB	16 GB	32 GB
NVMe	M.2 HAT (extra $)	Built-in M.2	Built-in	Built-in
Docker compatibility	90% of images	90% of images	100% of images	100% of images
HW transcoding	None	Limited (VPU)	QuickSync (excellent)	None/limited
GPIO	40-pin	26-pin	None	None
Total cost (usable)	$120–150	$85–135	$130–160	$60–100
Power (idle)	3–5W	3–5W	5–8W	10–15W

The Docker Compatibility Problem

ARM Docker images are increasingly available, but you’ll still hit gaps:

Works on ARM64: Most popular apps (Nextcloud, Jellyfin, Pi-hole, Vaultwarden, Home Assistant)
Doesn’t work on ARM64: Some niche apps, many enterprise tools, Windows containers, some CI/CD tools
Works but slower on ARM64: Apps that compile from source on first run, database-heavy workloads

With an x86 mini PC, this problem doesn’t exist. Every Docker image on Docker Hub works.

Best Use Cases for Each

Raspberry Pi 5 — Buy If:

You need GPIO pins for electronics/IoT projects
You’re teaching kids about computing
You want a dedicated single-purpose device (Pi-hole, Home Assistant)
Budget is truly under $80 (board only)
You already have Pi accessories (cases, PSUs, SD cards)

Orange Pi 5 / Rock 5B — Buy If:

You want ARM but need more than 8 GB RAM
You want built-in NVMe without a HAT
You need the RK3588’s NPU for edge AI
You want better performance than the Pi for similar power draw

Intel N100 Mini PC — Buy If:

Self-hosting is the primary use case
You want zero Docker compatibility issues
You need hardware transcoding (Plex/Jellyfin)
You want NVMe + 16 GB RAM out of the box
Total cost is more important than board-only price

Used Thin Client — Buy If:

Budget is under $70
You want x86 compatibility at the lowest price
You don’t mind used/refurbished hardware
You want expandable RAM beyond 8 GB
You’re comfortable with no warranty

Setting Up an SBC for Self-Hosting

Regardless of which ARM SBC you choose:

1. Use a Proper OS

Armbian — the best Linux distro for ARM SBCs. Supports Orange Pi, Rock, ODROID, and many others. Debian/Ubuntu-based, excellent hardware support.
Raspberry Pi OS — for Raspberry Pi only. Debian-based.
DietPi — ultra-lightweight, optimized for SBCs. Good for resource-constrained setups.

2. Don’t Boot from SD Card

SD cards die under server workloads (constant writes from logs, databases, Docker). Boot from:

NVMe SSD (best — if the board supports it)
eMMC module (good — soldered, more reliable than SD)
USB SSD (acceptable — use a quality USB-SATA adapter)

3. Add Proper Cooling

ARM SoCs thermal-throttle under sustained load. At minimum:

Heatsink on the SoC (usually included)
Active fan for the Raspberry Pi 5 (it runs hot under load)
For RK3588 boards: a metal case acts as a heatsink

4. Use a Quality Power Supply

USB-C power supplies for SBCs must deliver enough current:

Raspberry Pi 5: 5V/5A (27W USB-C PD) — official PSU recommended
Orange Pi 5: 5V/4A or USB-C PD
Rock 5B: USB-C PD or barrel jack

Underpowered PSUs cause crashes, SD card corruption, and USB device disconnects. Use the official PSU or a known-good USB-C PD charger.

FAQ

Is ARM getting better for self-hosting?

Yes, slowly. Major projects (Nextcloud, Jellyfin, Home Assistant, most databases) have ARM64 images. But x86 still has 100% compatibility vs ~90% for ARM. The gap narrows each year, but it’s not closed.

Can I run Proxmox on an ARM SBC?

No. Proxmox VE requires x86_64. For ARM virtualization, use QEMU/KVM directly on Armbian, or use LXC containers (which Armbian supports natively).

Is the Raspberry Pi 5 worth it over the Pi 4?

For self-hosting, yes. The Pi 5 is 2–3x faster, supports M.2 NVMe (via HAT), and has better I/O. The Pi 4 is still sold but not worth buying new when the Pi 5 exists. Used Pi 4s at $30–40 are reasonable for single-purpose devices like Pi-hole.

What about the CM4/CM5 (Compute Module)?

Compute Modules are boards without ports — you buy a carrier board with the ports you need. Some NAS carrier boards (like the Wiretrustee SATA board) turn a CM4 into a 4-bay NAS. Interesting but niche — mini PCs are more practical for most people.

Can I cluster Raspberry Pis?

Technically yes (Kubernetes, Docker Swarm). Practically, one N100 mini PC outperforms 4 Raspberry Pi 5s clustered together, costs less, uses less power, and is far simpler. Clustering Pis is a learning exercise, not a practical architecture.