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Raspberry Pi raises 16GB model price by $80 to $385
Raspberry Pi has raised the price of its 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 by $80 to $385, citing an ongoing shortage of memory chips and a lack of alternative suppliers. The increase is the latest to make the computer significantly more expensive, putting its price near that of a mini desktop PC.
The 16GB model launched at $120, so it now costs more than three times its original price. The 16GB Compute Module 5 models have also risen by $40, to between $375 and $415, while the 2GB Raspberry Pi 5 went up in price last month. CEO Eben Upton recommends choosing a lower-memory or older model if it meets users’ needs, and says the company hopes to reverse the increases when memory costs fall.
In short
- The 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 now costs $385.
- Its price has risen by $265 since launch.
- Raspberry Pi says memory shortages drove the increase.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Raspberry Pi can argue that higher prices reflect a real shortage of memory chips and few alternative suppliers, rather than a discretionary change. Raising prices may help the company keep supplying its products, while recommending lower-memory or older models and promising to reduce prices if costs fall offers users some alternatives.
The case against
Users can argue that an $80 increase brings the 16GB model to $385, more than three times its launch price and close to the cost of a mini desktop PC, weakening the Pi’s appeal as an affordable computer. The cumulative increases across several models may make the platform less accessible, and buyers may reasonably expect the company to absorb more of the cost or offer clearer limits on how long the hikes will last.
Explained simply
Raspberry Pi is a UK company that makes small, low-cost computers used for learning, hobby projects and some commercial products. Its Raspberry Pi 5 is a credit-card-sized computer that buyers can use on its own or build into other devices.
The 16GB version has more memory than the cheaper models, which can help when running demanding programs or several tasks at once. Raspberry Pi also sells Compute Modules, compact versions designed to be built into products by businesses and developers.
The company says memory chips are in short supply and it has few alternative suppliers, raising costs across some models. Higher prices may affect people choosing a small computer for projects or products, and make it useful to compare how much memory a task actually needs.
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Originally published by The Verge as “The 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 got another ‘unavoidable’ RAM price hike”.