ESP32 vs Raspberry Pi: What are the differences?

What is ESP32?

ESP32 is a low-power, high-performance microcontroller board with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules. It is commonly used in applications like sensor data reading, IoT projects, and motor control.

ESP32 Development Board – WiFi & Bluetooth

240 MHz dual-core processor
30+ GPIO pins
Arduino IDE support

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What is Raspberry Pi?

Raspberry Pi is a mini computer that supports Linux operating systems and comes with HDMI, USB, Ethernet, and microSD connections. It is ideal for image processing, artificial intelligence, server hosting, and graphical applications.

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B – 4GB RAM

1.5 GHz quad-core CPU
4K HDMI output
40 GPIO pins

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Comparison Table: ESP32 vs Raspberry Pi

Feature	ESP32	Raspberry Pi
Architecture	Microcontroller	Mini computer
Processor	240 MHz dual-core	1.5 GHz quad-core
RAM	520 KB – 4 MB	512 MB – 8 GB
Storage	Flash	microSD card
Operating System	None (Firmware)	Raspberry Pi OS (Linux)
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth	Built-in	Built-in
GPIO Count	~30, includes analog	~26, no analog
Power Consumption	Very low	High
Price	Low	High
Development Environment	Arduino IDE, MicroPython	Python, Linux terminal

Which Board for Which Project?

Project Type	Recommended Board	Reason
Wireless temperature/humidity sensor	ESP32	Wi-Fi/Bluetooth data transmission
Smart socket or light control system	ESP32	Relay support and low power consumption
Object recognition via image processing	Raspberry Pi	Camera and OpenCV support
Web server (dashboard, etc.)	Raspberry Pi	Can run web servers with Python
LED control via Bluetooth	ESP32	Built-in BLE support (no need for HC-05)
AI education/training	Raspberry Pi	Perfect for training with Python + TensorFlow