The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is the latest and currently the most powerful SBC from the Raspberry Pi series. The Raspberry Pi 3B+ is less powerful and older than the Pi 4B by a year, but it can still be a worthy purchase, depending on your needs.

The Raspberry Pi 4 offers double the memory of its predecessor and vastly improved CPU performance among other features. However, that doesn't necessarily make it the best option for you. We'll compare these two devices side by side, so you can choose the SBC that suits your needs and your budget.

What Is the Raspberry Pi 3B+?

The Raspberry Pi 3B+ is the third iteration of the popular single-board computer from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It's based on Broadcom's BCM2837B0 SoC (system on chip), which consists of a quad-core 1.4GHz 64-bit processor and an integrated GPU with support for OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics rendering.

The Raspberry Pi 3B+ provides reasonable performance gains over the Raspberry Pi 3B. It adds several new features, such as improved Wi-Fi and Ethernet speeds, as well as Power-over-Ethernet(PoE).

It uses the same form factor that the Raspberry Pi line has used since the Raspberry Pi B+ and may look exactly the same as the Raspberry Pi 4 to a casual observer. This is intentional and not a lack of innovativeness on the part of the Raspberry Pi company. It means that in most scenarios, HATs (Hardware Attached on Top) and protective cases can be shared by different Raspberry Pi models, regardless of how far apart they are in age.

Raspberry Pi 3B+ vs. Raspberry Pi 4: Performance

The Raspberry Pi 3B+ and the Raspberry Pi 4B both feature a quad-core processor, with clock speeds of 1.4 GHz and 1.5 GHz, respectively. The 0.1 GHz increase might not seem like much until you consider that this increase applies to each core in the embedded processor, making the Raspberry Pi 4B close to 50% faster than the Raspberry Pi 3. This, coupled with the new and improved graphics processing unit (GPU) in the Raspberry Pi Model 4B, makes it much more capable of handling memory-intensive and graphic-intensive computing tasks.

If you intend to install retro game emulators, set up a media center, or run any other major project, a Raspberry Pi 4 should offer better results. The Raspberry Pi 3B+ should work well enough if your use is not resource-intensive.

Raspberry Pi 3B+ vs. Raspberry Pi 4B: Specs Compared

* Newer Pi 4 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB models are boosted to 1.8 GHz when running the Bullseye version of Raspberry Pi OS.

Raspberry Pi 3B+ vs. Raspberry Pi 4: Price and Availability

The Raspberry Pi 3B+ and the 1GB model of the Pi 4B are sold for the same price, at $35 officially. However, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B comes in four flavors which are all priced differently.

The Raspberry Pi 4 is available in different variants, from 1GB RAM up to 8GB RAM. You can select the model that best suits your preferences and the projects you want to work on. The Raspberry Pi 3B+, on the other hand, is only available with 1GB of RAM, so it means you have fewer options to choose from.

Raspberry Pis are generally hard to find at official prices, but you may be even harder-pressed to find a Raspberry Pi 4 for sale, due to its status as the latest and most powerful Raspberry Pi model.

If you are looking to get your hands on a Raspberry Pi as soon as possible, a Raspberry Pi 3B+ may be the better option due to the reduced demand for it. Also, you may find someone willing to sell a secondhand model to you at a reduced price.

Advantages of the Raspberry Pi 3B+

There are a number of reasons why you could consider the Raspberry Pi 3B+ over the Raspberry Pi 4. For one, the Raspberry Pi 3B+ has less strict power demands. This means that you can be a bit more flexible with your choice of power supply, unlike the Raspberry Pi 4. Also, the Raspberry Pi 3B+ uses much less power and tends to run cooler than the Pi 4 while performing intensive tasks.

It also uses the standard HDMI cable instead of a micro-HDMI connector, which means that you may not have to buy a new cable and/or adapter to hook your Raspberry Pi up to a display.

The Raspberry Pi 3B+ is good enough for projects such as running Pi-hole, Kodi, OctoPrint, or even hosting a small web server, etc. Essentially, the Raspberry Pi 3B+ is excellent for projects that are not taxing on the processor and don’t require a lot of RAM to run.

Disadvantages of the Raspberry Pi 3B+

Although it can be a good fit for your use, the Raspberry Pi 3B+ is a year older than the Pi 4, which makes it a less capable device lacking all the improvements that the Pi 4 brings. If your use case requires any of these features, such as more RAM or connecting two monitors, then you should get a Raspberry Pi 4 instead.

Another downside of buying the Raspberry Pi 3B+ in 2023 is that it is generally sold for about the same price as the 1GB RAM version of the Raspberry Pi 4, around $35. Unless you can get the Pi 3B+ for less, you should almost always go for the Raspberry Pi 4 instead.

Should You Still Buy A Raspberry Pi 3B+?

The Raspberry Pi 3B+ is still a great device for tinkering, hosting servers, and building projects, but you should consider a newer model if you want to do anything more demanding.

Currently, the Raspberry Pi 4 isn't easy to find at retailers like Pimoroni or Adafruit and you may be able to pick up the Pi 3B+ with less effort. It's also worth noting that while the new model has shiny new features and does come with significantly better specs than its predecessor, it also consumes more power and may not be the best fit for battery-powered projects.