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Raspberry Pi announced another round of official price increases on April 1, 2026, with the largest jump reaching $150 for Raspberry Pi 500+ units and kits. The company says LPDDR4 DRAM costs have risen sevenfold year over year as AI infrastructure competes for memory-manufacturing capacity. Raspberry Pi also introduced a 3GB Raspberry Pi 4 Model B for $83.75 and confirmed that work on a future Raspberry Pi 6 is underway—but there is still no verified public launch date.
For buyers, the practical answer is configuration-specific: low-memory and older models remain comparatively affordable, while high-memory Pi 5, Pi 500+, Compute Module and AI HAT+ products have absorbed the sharpest increases.
What changed on April 1, 2026?
The latest increases apply mainly to products with higher memory capacities. Raspberry Pi says the changes reflect rapidly rising LPDDR4 costs and wider competition for memory-fabrication capacity associated with AI infrastructure.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors| Product | Configuration | Official increase |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 4 and Pi 5 | 4GB | $25 |
| Raspberry Pi 4 and Pi 5 | 8GB | $50 |
| Raspberry Pi 5 | 16GB | $100 |
| Raspberry Pi 500 | Unit and kit | $50 |
| Raspberry Pi 500+ | Unit and kit | $150 |
| Compute Module 4 and 4S | 1GB | $11.25 |
| Compute Module 4, 4S and 5 | 2GB | $12.50 |
| Compute Module 4, 4S and 5 | 4GB | $25 |
| Compute Module 4, 4S and 5 | 8GB | $50 |
| Compute Module 5 | 16GB | $100 |
| Compute Module 5 Development Kit | — | $25 |
| Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ 2 | — | $50 |
These are recommended-price changes in US dollars, not a guarantee of the final price at every retailer. Local taxes, currency conversion, shipping, distributor margins and existing inventory can produce different prices by country and reseller. The $150 figure applies to Raspberry Pi 500+ pricing; it does not mean every Raspberry Pi became $150 more expensive.
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Raspberry Pi’s April announcement contains the complete official increase table.
Current price signals
Raspberry Pi’s official product pages currently provide the clearest reference points:
- The Raspberry Pi 5 product page lists the 16GB model at $305.
- The Raspberry Pi 4 product page lists the range as starting from $35, while the new 3GB configuration is separately priced at $83.75.
- The Raspberry Pi 500+ launched at $200 in September 2025, before the later $150 increase. The April announcement specifies the size of the increase, but retail prices are not necessarily uniform across all markets.
It is important to distinguish the size of an increase from the product’s total price. A board that rises by $50 is not necessarily $50 more expensive than another board; its starting MSRP, memory capacity and local retail conditions also matter.
Why AI infrastructure is affecting Raspberry Pi prices
Raspberry Pi boards are not suddenly being filled with AI hardware. The pressure is arriving indirectly through the memory supply chain.
Modern AI data centers consume enormous quantities of memory, including high-bandwidth memory and server DRAM. That demand competes for manufacturing capacity and components across the wider memory market. Raspberry Pi says the LPDDR4 DRAM used in Raspberry Pi 4 and Pi 5 has become seven times more expensive year over year. In a February announcement, the company said some parts had more than doubled in cost during the preceding quarter.
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The precise cost increase is not a claim that every dollar of Raspberry Pi’s price rise comes directly from high-bandwidth memory demand. The defensible explanation is broader: AI-infrastructure expansion is tightening memory-related capacity and increasing the cost of the LPDDR4-family components Raspberry Pi needs.
“AI bubble” is therefore a description used in some coverage and commentary, not Raspberry Pi’s official diagnosis. The company’s stated explanation is memory-cost inflation and competition for fabrication capacity.
This was not the first increase
The April changes followed a sequence of memory-driven increases:
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| October 1, 2025 | Some 4GB and 8GB products increased by roughly $5 to $10. |
| February 2, 2026 | Products with 2GB or more of memory increased by $10 for 2GB, $15 for 4GB, $30 for 8GB and $60 for 16GB. |
| April 1, 2026 | The latest round added increases ranging from $11.25 to $150 and introduced the 3GB Pi 4. |
For a sense of the cumulative effect, Hackster reported that the Raspberry Pi 5 16GB rose from $120 in November 2025 to $305 after the April 2026 change. That comparison is attributed to Hackster’s report, rather than presented as an independently reconstructed historical price series.
The new 3GB Raspberry Pi 4
The 3GB Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is an intermediate-memory option priced at $83.75. Raspberry Pi says the purpose is to give buyers more choice instead of forcing them to pay for a larger memory tier than their project requires.
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It is not a new-generation Pi 4 architecture. It remains a Pi 4, so the decision should not be based on RAM alone. A lower-memory Pi 5 may be the better choice when CPU performance, storage speed or longer-term software requirements matter more than the extra gigabyte. Conversely, the 3GB Pi 4 can make sense for a Linux, GPIO or educational project where Pi 4 compatibility and price are more important than Pi 5 performance.
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Availability can vary by region and approved reseller, so check the configuration—not just the product family—before comparing prices.
Which products were protected?
Raspberry Pi held the prices of several lower-memory and older products. The company specifically listed:
- Raspberry Pi 4 and Pi 5 1GB and 2GB variants, priced between $35 and $65;
- Raspberry Pi 400 at $60;
- Raspberry Pi Zero, Zero W and Zero 2 W;
- Raspberry Pi 1, 3, 3B+ and 3A+; and
- Compute Module 1 and Compute Module 3+.
Raspberry Pi says it has substantial inventory of the LPDDR2 memory used by many of these older products. That creates a practical escape route for projects that do not need Pi 5 performance or large RAM capacities.
What “Raspberry Pi 6 confirmed” actually means
Raspberry Pi has confirmed that development or planning for a Raspberry Pi 6 is underway. That is meaningful, but it is not a launch announcement.
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The available information does not establish a release date, specifications, price, preorder schedule or memory configuration. A future Pi 6 may be affected by the same component economics that are influencing current products. Hackster interprets timing as potentially dependent on component costs, but that is outlet analysis rather than a published Raspberry Pi launch schedule.
Raspberry Pi’s investor communications also describe a future Pi 6 in terms of the company’s established product philosophy. That supports the conclusion that the product is part of the company’s planning; it does not justify calling Pi 6 imminent.
Are the increases temporary?
Raspberry Pi says the increases are temporary and that it intends to reverse them when memory prices normalize. There is no stated timetable, guaranteed reduction or promise that prices will return exactly to historic levels.
Even if component prices decline, retail prices may not move immediately. Exchange rates, logistics, product revisions, inventory purchased at different costs and business decisions can all affect the final price. A time-sensitive project should not be postponed solely on the assumption that 2025 pricing will quickly return.
Should you buy a Raspberry Pi now?
Buy now if the project is time-sensitive
Buy the model that meets the real workload if you need to build, teach, deploy or replace a system soon. Raspberry Pi remains particularly compelling when you need Raspberry Pi OS, GPIO, camera and display interfaces, extensive documentation, community support or a long production horizon. Raspberry Pi says the Pi 5 will remain in production until at least January 2036.
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Choose less RAM when the workload allows it
Headless servers, lightweight automation, sensor projects and many educational applications do not automatically need 8GB or 16GB. Avoid paying for memory headroom that your software will never use. Large containers, databases, virtual machines, many browser tabs and local AI models are more likely to justify higher capacities.
Consider older models for simple projects
A Pi Zero 2 W, Pi 400, Pi 4 or Pi 3-era board may be the better financial choice for basic Linux, GPIO, sensors and low-power automation. Check software support, wireless capabilities, USB performance and expected workload before choosing older hardware.
Include the complete system cost
Board-only pricing can make a Pi 5 look cheaper than it is. Raspberry Pi recommends a high-quality 5V/5A USB-C supply, and active cooling helps the board sustain performance under load. Storage, a case, display cables, an M.2 adapter and other accessories may also be required.
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For a general desktop, compare the complete Pi setup with a used business mini PC or entry-level x86 mini PC. Such systems often provide more RAM, storage and CPU performance for similar money, although they generally lack Raspberry Pi’s 40-pin GPIO ecosystem, compact maker accessories and community-specific documentation.
Use-case guide
| Use case | Practical direction |
|---|---|
| Education and GPIO | Choose a lower-memory Pi 4, Pi 5 or protected older model if the software supports it. |
| Home server | Buy based on storage, networking and sustained-load needs; do not assume more RAM fixes every bottleneck. |
| Robotics and sensors | Pi Zero 2 W, Pi 4 or a microcontroller such as Raspberry Pi Pico may be more appropriate than a high-memory Pi 5. |
| Desktop use | Compare the complete Pi 5 or Pi 500+ cost with a used mini PC before buying. |
| Local AI | More RAM alone does not make a Pi equivalent to a GPU-equipped AI system. Consider the workload and supported accelerator hardware. |
| Industrial deployment | Compute Modules remain relevant, but memory-tier increases should be included in the bill of materials and long-term supply planning. |
Should you wait for Pi 6?
Wait only when the project is non-urgent, your existing hardware is adequate and you accept an unspecified release date and unknown price. There is no evidence in the cited material that Pi 6 is launching soon.
If you need a working system now, choose the best available current configuration rather than treating Pi 6 development as a near-term buying promise. If your project can tolerate waiting, monitor official announcements rather than relying on speculation about specifications or timing.
What alternatives make sense?
- Used Lenovo, Dell or HP mini PCs: Often stronger for desktop work, RAM expansion and storage value, but poor substitutes when GPIO, camera interfaces or the Raspberry Pi ecosystem are central.
- Other ARM single-board computers: May offer attractive specifications or memory options, but documentation, accessories, community support and software maturity vary.
- Intel N-series mini PCs: Usually better suited to general-purpose desktop and server workloads, often with higher power consumption and no Pi-style 40-pin ecosystem.
- Raspberry Pi Pico or Pico W: Excellent for sensors, control and real-time microcontroller work, but not a replacement for a Linux single-board computer.
Do not choose the Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ 2 simply because AI is part of the price story. It is relevant only if your application is compatible with its supported edge-AI workloads; it does not provide a general performance upgrade for every Pi project. Its April 2026 price increase was $50.
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For official details, see Raspberry Pi’s April 2026 announcement, the February 2026 announcement, and the October 2025 announcement. Check the Pi 5 and Pi 4 product pages for current official signals, then verify the final price with an approved reseller in your country.
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