The Raspberry Pi 5 was never a high-end board, but its appeal always included getting usable computing for relatively little money. A $385 price for the 16GB model makes that proposition difficult to defend.
PCWorld reports that the board’s price has risen sharply as memory costs increase. The company expects to reverse the increases when memory prices fall, but that relief remains in the future.
- The 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 now costs $385.
- It launched at $120 in January 2025.
- The 16GB Compute Module 5 rose from $335 to $375.
- Shortages have brought back scalping problems.
- Raspberry Pi expects future price reductions when memory costs fall.
The price jump changes the buyer math
The 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 launched in January 2025 at $120. Its current PiShop US price is $385, an increase of more than 300 percent from the launch price.
For comparison, the 4GB model launched at $60 in 2023. The gap between the cheapest and most expensive Pi 5 configurations has widened considerably as memory costs increased.
That does not mean every configuration has become equally expensive. It does mean the old buying habit of choosing the amount of memory you need without checking the current price can produce an unpleasant surprise.
The slim Compute Module 5 with 16GB has also risen from $335 to $375. Raspberry Pi is trying to hold the price of the Pi 500+ PC-in-a-keyboard, though it sells fewer of those units than regular Pi boards.
Why memory costs are driving this
Raspberry Pi boards depend on attached memory for their main system RAM. When component prices climb and supplies tighten, the board maker has limited room to absorb the increase without changing the sticker price.
PCWorld quotes Raspberry Pi CEO Ebon Upton as saying the company expects the increases to be temporary and plans to roll them back when memory costs fall. He also describes the lack of alternatives as a factor in the current environment.
Shortages have created a secondary problem: scalping. Buyers pay above retail because stock is scarce, which pushes the practical cost beyond the published price for people competing for limited units.
What this means for you
The old Raspberry Pi buying rule was straightforward. Choose the board that fits the project and accept that adding a desktop operating system makes it a compact general-purpose computer.
At current prices, that calculation changes sharply. The 16GB model is no longer an inexpensive way to build a small desktop, kiosk server, or development machine. A cheaper board may make more sense for embedded work, while a conventional mini PC could offer a clearer performance-per-dollar comparison for projects that need Windows or heavier Linux use.
Do not buy based on the memory label alone. Calculate the full system cost: storage, power supply, enclosure, cooling, networking, peripherals, and the time required to assemble it. A $385 board can still be justified for a specific need, but “it is a Raspberry Pi” is no longer a sufficient reason.
A practical buying scenario
Say you want an always-on Linux box for file sharing and home automation. Compare the board with a used or entry-level mini PC rather than automatically selecting the 16GB Pi. Check processor support, storage interfaces, power draw, enclosure options, and whether the workload actually needs much RAM.
For a controller or sensor project, a lower-memory Pi may remain appropriate. For a machine running many browser tabs, development containers, or a desktop environment, memory and processor speed matter more than the Raspberry Pi name.
If you are waiting to build, watch memory pricing and retail stock. A temporary promotion is not much help when replacement parts and accessories may become harder to find later.
What to watch next
The key question is whether component prices fall enough for Raspberry Pi to restore its normal value. Upton has publicly tied a future rollback to lower memory costs, so that is the signal to watch.
Also watch whether lower boards become easier to buy without scalper markups. A broad return to stable supply would matter more to practical builders than a brief discount on only one configuration.
Bottom line: the 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 remains technically capable, but $385 breaks the budget-first identity that made the platform popular. Treat the current price as a supply problem rather than a new normal, and compare alternatives before committing.
Key takeaways
- The 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 rose from $120 at launch to $385.
- Raspberry Pi attributes the increases to memory costs and a lack of alternatives.
- The company says it expects to roll prices back when memory costs fall.
- Buyers should compare total project costs with mini PCs and lower-memory boards.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 cost?
Its current PiShop US price is $385.
What was its launch price?
The 16GB model debuted in January 2025 at $120.
Why are Raspberry Pi prices rising?
PCWorld reports that memory price increases and limited alternatives are driving the changes.
Will prices return to their old level?
Raspberry Pi CEO Ebon Upton says the company expects to roll back the increases when memory costs fall, though no date was given.