Finding Raspberry Pi: Where to buy the latest model and its alternatives

This latest mainline generation from the Raspberry Pi Project includes the Raspberry Pi 4 with 1GB to 8GB of onboard RAM, as well as the Pi 400 and the Pi Pico, which we’ll cover in separate sections below. As the newest model, the Pi 4 is among the hardest to find. It launched about two years ago with an MSRP of $35 to $70, depending on the amount of RAM included.

Review: Raspberry Pi 4 Model B: A Powerful, Flexible, and Affordable DIY Computing Platform

Unfortunately, getting a Raspberry Pi 4 bare board now requires a lot of patience, a deep pocketbook, or both. The original price range was impacted by price increases in the Raspberry Pi project (due to rising chip costs) as well as resellers trying to take advantage of scarcity to raise prices.

While the Raspberry Pi project is price-controlling the cost of units at authorized retailers (currently at around $75), these sellers often see their stocks being emptied within minutes of the release of new availability, especially now that bots for This task can be used to buy up boards for later scalping. Reliable outlets like Adafruit (one of the earliest and most trusted sources for Rasperry Pi hardware) have implemented purchase limits and verification technology to prevent bots from wiping them out. But even then, there are still enough legitimate human customers left to quickly run out of supplies.

If you need a Pi 4 board right away, expect to pay anywhere from $125 to $175 depending on the RAM included. If you must have a mainline Pi-4 board but just can’t stand this level of price gouging, I’d recommend signing up for email alerts with Adafruit or Micro Center. Both companies are offering retail prices that are far closer, if not in line, to the original MSRPs for Pi 4 boards at various tiers of storage.

Also: 3 must-have Raspberry Pi accessories

If you are purchasing your Raspberry Pi 4 from a seller not listed in this article, please ensure they are a reputable, well rated retailer. The scarcity of Pi boards has led to an explosion of scams around them. If a seller price seems too good to be true for the board you’re looking for, it probably is. Try to be patient or save some extra money and buy your board from a reputable retailer or at least a reseller that offers the product through a website that offers buyer protection in case your order doesn’t arrive or isn’t as described.