The Arduino vs Raspberry Pi debate has caused beginners a bit of confusion about what these two little devices actually do. Both are very cheap, the same size, and to the untrained eye they look very similar. However, they are very different. The Raspberry Pi is a minicomputer, running a Linux operating system, and the Arduino is a microcontroller, without the typical operating system style you're used to. The Arduino and Raspberry Pi may look pretty similar – they're both cute little circuit boards with a few chips and pins – but they're actually very different devices. The Arduino is actually a microcontroller; It's not a minicomputer. A microcontroller is just a small part of what makes up a computer and provides only a subset of the Rapsberry Pi's functionality.
The Arduino vs Raspberry Pi debate has caused beginners a bit of confusion about what these two little devices actually do. Both are very cheap, the same size, and to the untrained eye they look very similar. However, they are very different. The Raspberry Pi is a minicomputer, running a Linux operating system, and the Arduino is a microcontroller, without the typical operating system style you're used to. Both are focused on very different ideas.
Arduino
The Arduino Uno
The Arduino is a programmable microcontroller. The only functionality is what YOU program it to have. It's designed to read data from sensors, compute the data, and send it to a PC (or Raspberry Pi) or send it to LEDs or LCD screens that you've connected and programmed. By controlling relays, you can control high-power components through relays and control motors.
Arduino is used in many types of projects, from music applications and interactive art exhibitions to robotics and gaming devices. There are a few different types of boards for different projects
Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi Model B
The Raspberry Pi is at the opposite extreme – it has a full operating system loaded onto an SD card. It also has audio output, HDMI and RCA video output, and an Ethernet port. This allows you to use your Raspberry Pi like a computer, with internet browsing, gaming and more. Connect your keyboard, mouse and monitor and you have an incredibly cheap computer.
What is the difference?
The Arduino and Raspberry Pi may look pretty similar – they're both cute little circuit boards with a few chips and pins – but they're actually very different devices. The Arduino is actually a microcontroller; It's not a minicomputer. A microcontroller is just a small part of what makes up a computer and provides only a subset of the Rapsberry Pi's functionality.
While the Arduino can be programmed with small Type-C applications, it can't run a full-fledged “operating system” and it certainly won't replace your media center anytime soon. The Raspberry Pi, on the other hand, is a computer. If you are reading this site, I assume you know what this means.
Raspberry Pi projects are more software-based than hardware-based. Since it is simply a Linux computer, most projects are based on software hacks, media centers, and graphics/sound and multimedia. However, it can do some simple hardware control with the GPIO pins.