Teensy 4.1 Board
Image Credit: Adafruit

Today, Arduino is widely seen as the best route for both DIY electronics and programming. Despite their awesome capabilities, official Arduino boards are a bit pricey. While Arduino clones can be significantly cheaper, there are other options to using an Arduino for your electronics projects. Here we take a look and some of the cheapest, fastest, and most interesting alternatives to the Arduino range.

1. NodeMCU: The Cheap Arduino Alternative

The NodeMCU is a tiny but versatile board often used in DIY smart home projects. Similar in size to the Arduino Nano and Pro Mini, this board packs a few extra punches that set it aside.

The NodeMCU (which is based around the ESP8266 system-on-chip) can run the familiar Arduino architecture. What makes it more versatile is the ability to program in Lua directly on the board. Combine this with onboard Wi-Fi and a similar pin layout to Arduino boards, and you can see why many consider these miniature microcontrollers to be a powerful alternative.

Alongside this extra functionality, a real benefit here is the price. They are an affordable alternative to most of the Arduino range. For almost all DIY electronics projects, the NodeMCU makes the perfect ally. You can see this board in action in our DIY household energy monitor.

2. Teensy 4: The Fast Arduino Alternative

When talking about speedy alternatives to Arduino, it's hard to find anything better than the Teensy board range. Now on iteration 4.1, these small boards are similar in form to the smaller Arduino Nano and Arduino Micro boards, but pack a hidden punch.

The latest Teensy 4.1 uses a 600MHz ARM Cortex-M7 processor that gives it an astounding level of computational power for its size. The Teensy 4.1 comes with a built-in microSD card slot for added onboard memory. Teensy boards are also a viable alternative in terms of cost, with the Teensy 4.1 costing just over $30.

The already beefy onboard processor can be overclocked, giving even more speed to this pint-sized wonder board. These boards have become the go-to for many tinkerers as they are compatible with the Arduino IDE using the Teensyduino library. This works in tandem with Teensy's own loader software to make writing and uploading code familiar to anyone who has worked with Arduino boards.

The Teensy also works as a USB HID device, much like the Arduino Pro Micro. This makes it perfect for builds that require the board to be recognized in this way. The Teensy range of boards is rapidly growing in popularity. Once you realize just how many cool projects you can build with a Teensy board, it's easy to see why!

3. MSP430 Launchpad: The Low-Power Arduino Alternative

While price and speed are important factors in most DIY builds, power consumption is also a regular problem. Logging devices designed to be left on site for some time can struggle with sustaining their function. Even with modern beefy battery banks!

A solution to this can be found in the MSP430 range of boards. Seen as a go-to low-power alternative for almost 20 years, many users report an operational current draw three times lower than comparable Arduino boards.

Finally, the chips provided with these boards don't require many components to act as stand-alone microcontrollers in your projects. This means that any development board in the range can be used to upload behavior to the chip before placing it into your projects, cutting down on space and allowing for a greater range of uses.

If power consumption is something you consider in your DIY projects, maybe give the MSP430 Launchpad a look!

4. STM32: The Multi-Tool

While almost all Arduino-like development boards have a wide variety of uses, one newcomer takes the prize for being the most versatile. The STM32 boards, also known as the Blue Pill (or Black Pill) colloquially, are similar in size to the Arduino Nano and Pro Micro.

As they are compatible with the Arduino IDE, they will seem familiar to anyone who has played with Arduino boards before.

As the above video shows, these boards provide a few more options for budding DIY makers, though that is not the whole story. Alongside the standard STM32 boards, ST also produces the Nucleo range.

These microcontrollers all have the STM32 chip at their heart, but come in a huge range of different options. Whether you are looking for a performance that rivals the Teensy board, or a low-power option for battery-powered devices, there's an STM32 perfect for your project. The full rundown of available boards is documented on ST's website.

Add to this an array of shields much like those for Arduino boards, and you've got yourself a Swiss army knife of a microcontroller for almost any occasion!

5. PocketBeagle: The Linux Alternative

While Arduino boards are perfect for simple interfaces and physical interactions, sometimes you need a little more. This is where the Linux-based PocketBeagle comes in.

You might wonder why this board is even on this list, given that it appears to have far more in common with the Raspberry Pi Zero than any Arduino board. While this is true, the PocketBeagle does have some perks which make it a contender.

The PocketBeagle has five analog inputs along with 44 GPIO pins and a microSD slot. This tiny Linux board is incredibly versatile and has a foot in both Arduino and Raspberry Pi camps.

If you want a microcontroller that works like an Arduino but has all the benefits of a full onboard operating system, the PocketBeagle might be the one you're looking for.

6. DIY: The Homemade Alternative

If you are looking for a truly custom-built alternative to Arduino, then consider building your own from scratch. Your next DIY project could be building a DIY board!

This method is definitely not for beginners, and the resulting controller will still require an FTDI USB to serial interface cable in order to program the chip. A DIY board is perfect if you want to learn how Arduino boards work, or if your project requires the hardware to fit into a very specific space.

Building your own Arduino will also save money compared to the price of an official Arduino board. But, since there are much cheaper alternatives and Arduino clones available, you really need to want to make your own to justify doing it!

Arduino Isn’t the Only Option

While Arduino boards certainly still rule the roost in terms of single-board microcontrollers, there are many other great microcontroller boards you can choose from. Since the launch of the first Arduino, there have been many variations on the form, and much discussion as to which type of microcontroller is king.

As the world of microcontroller technology continues to evolve, there are now several alternative microcontrollers that can provide similar capabilities and performance. There are so many options for home-brewed electronics projects now, that there will almost certainly be something perfect for your needs. And most importantly, to have fun with!