Raspberry Pi adds $12.50 to its 2GB Pi 4 and Pi 5 as memory prices climb
Raspberry Pi raised the 2GB Pi 5 to $77.50 and the 2GB Pi 4 to $67.50, increases of 19% and 23% it blames on rising memory prices. Labs and small fleets built on the 2GB tier now pay $12.50 more per board, and the memory shortage behind the rise shows no sign of easing.
The Engineer · Build desk
What happened
- The 2GB Pi 4 and Pi 5 had escaped the April increases that hit other models, so this second round of the year is the first to reach them.
- According to Tom's Hardware, CEO Eben Upton recently confirmed that holding the old prices on lower-capacity models is no longer feasible.
- The Pi 5 2GB launched two years ago at $50, so its new price sits 55% above the original MSRP.
- Larger boards have climbed further against original MSRPs, by up to 83% for the Pi 5 16GB, 63% for the Pi 5 8GB and 53% for the Pi 4 8GB.
Why it matters
- What it costs cost A 100-board lab or fleet on the 2GB tier costs $1,250 more at list price, so per-unit budgets built on $65 or $55 boards are now out of date.
- Who has to decide decision The 1GB tier is the only one still frozen at MSRP, so whether a workload fits in 1GB now decides whether a team's per-unit cost moved at all.
- What it limits constraint Memory can only be bought with the board: Tom's Hardware reports that recent firmware locks each Pi to its factory capacity, so a cheaper low-memory board cannot be upgraded later.
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The two increases are the same dollar amount [15]. The Pi 5 2GB moved from $65 [4] and the Pi 4 2GB from $55 [7], so $12.50 shows up as 19% on the newer board and 23% on the older one [5][8]. On an invoice they are identical [15]. I think a flat increase across two board generations points to a per-unit component cost being passed straight through, and memory is the cost Raspberry Pi named [1][9]. The change was posted to the Raspberry Pi blog, according to Phoronix [10].
Memory prices have moved these boards in both directions. The Pi 4 2GB launched at $45 and was cut to $35 when memory got cheaper [7]. At $67.50 it is now 93% above that low and 50% above launch [8]. I would not budget for a return to the low. Tom's Hardware describes the LPDDR4 and LPDDR5 shortage as not improving, with demand steady and supply too low [3].
The new price also changes the shape of the Pi 5 range. Phoronix lists the 4GB at $110, the 8GB at $180 and the 16GB at $305 [14]. Per gigabyte, that puts the 2GB board at $38.75, against $27.50 for the 4GB, $22.50 for the 8GB and $19.06 for the 16GB [17]. Of those four sizes, the board people buy to save money now has the most expensive memory per gigabyte [17]. Stepping up from 2GB to 4GB costs $32.50 a board [18]. Staying on the older Pi 4 2GB saves $10 against the Pi 5 2GB [16].
What to watch
- Whether the 1GB models keep their frozen MSRP through the next pricing round, given Upton's statement on lower-capacity models.
- Signs that LPDDR4 and LPDDR5 supply is easing, the condition under which Pi prices have fallen before.
- Whether Raspberry Pi relaxes the firmware capacity lock or offers a barebones board.
Clarity's read
What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.
Reality
- Evidence62
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+5
- Incentives
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- Confidence66
Claim ledger
Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.
- [1]
Citing the ongoing rise in memory prices, Raspberry Pi raised prices on the 2GB versions of the Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5 by up to 23%.
- [2]
The 2GB Raspberry Pi 4 and Pi 5 avoided the April price increases that hit other models; this is the company's second round of price hikes.
- [3]
The shortage of LPDDR4 and LPDDR5 memory is not improving, as global demand has remained steady and supply remains too low.
- [4]
The Raspberry Pi 5 2GB launched two years ago at $50, gradually increased in price and stabilized at $65 for an extended period.
- [5]
The Raspberry Pi 5 2GB now sells at $77.50, a 19% increase over the previous price.
- [6]
Over its lifetime, the Raspberry Pi 5 2GB has increased by 55% from its original launch MSRP.
- [7]
The Raspberry Pi 4 2GB launched at $45, was later reduced to $35 as memory prices fell, and had reached $55 before the most recent round of price hikes.
- [8]
The Raspberry Pi 4 2GB now costs $67.50, a 23% increase; that is 50% more than its launch price and 93% more than its lowest adjusted price.
- [9]
The 2GB price rise is a $12.50 increase in this round of pricing updates, due to the RAM pricing situation in the industry.
- [10]
The Raspberry Pi 4/5 2GB pricing update was posted to the Raspberry Pi blog.
- [11]
Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton recently confirmed that maintaining the previous pricing for lower-capacity models is no longer feasible.
- [12]
The Raspberry Pi 5 16GB, Raspberry Pi 5 8GB and Raspberry Pi 4 8GB have posted price hikes of up to 83%, 63% and 53% respectively compared with their original MSRPs.
- [13]
Raspberry Pi has frozen pricing for the 1GB models at MSRP.
- [14]
The Raspberry Pi 5 4GB is currently $110, the 8GB $180 and the 16GB $305.
- [15]
Both 2GB boards rose by the same $12.50: the Pi 5 2GB from $65 to $77.50 and the Pi 4 2GB from $55 to $67.50.
- [16]
The Pi 4 2GB is $10 cheaper than the Pi 5 2GB at the new prices.
- [17]
Per gigabyte, the Pi 5 2GB costs $38.75, the 4GB $27.50, the 8GB $22.50 and the 16GB $19.06, so the 2GB board has the highest cost per gigabyte of the four.
- [18]
Moving from the Pi 5 2GB to the Pi 5 4GB costs $32.50 more per board.
- [19]
A 100-board fleet on the 2GB tier costs $1,250 more at the new list prices.
- [20]
Raspberry Pi's most recent firmware updates lock devices to their official factory memory capacities, ruling out a barebones board to which buyers add their own memory.
Sources
2 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.
- phoronix.comRaspberry Pi 5 2GB Price Increases To $77.50 USD
1 article · October 1, 2026
- tomshardware.comComponent shortages drive Raspberry Pi prices up by up to 23%
1 article · October 2, 2026
Topics and entities
Topics
- Workstation Pricing
- Memory Chip Pricing
- Single-board computers