Orange Pi 5 vs Raspberry Pi 5: The ARM Home Server Showdown (2025)

For years, the Raspberry Pi was the default answer to "what should I use for a small home server?". But in 2024 and 2025, the landscape has shifted. The Orange Pi 5 (and its Plus/Pro variants) has emerged as a serious challenger, offering performance that often eclipses the Pi 5.

If you're building a low-power ARM home server today, which one should you choose?

The Contenders

Raspberry Pi 5

• CPU: Broadcom BCM2712 (4x Cortex-A76 @ 2.4GHz)
• RAM: 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4X
• Storage: MicroSD, USB 3.0, PCIe 2.0 x1 (requires HAT for NVMe)
• Networking: 1x Gigabit Ethernet
• Price: ~$60-80 (board only)

Orange Pi 5 (Base/Plus)

• CPU: Rockchip RK3588S / RK3588 (4x Cortex-A76 @ 2.4GHz + 4x Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz)
• RAM: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB LPDDR4/4X
• Storage: MicroSD, Native M.2 NVMe slot (PCIe 3.0 x4 on Plus model)
• Networking: 1x GbE (Base) or 2x 2.5GbE (Plus)
• Price: ~$80-130

Performance Comparison

1. Raw Compute Power

The Orange Pi 5 is the clear winner here. The RK3588 is an 8-core beast compared to the Pi 5's 4 cores.

• Multi-core: The Orange Pi 5 is roughly 2-3x faster in multi-core workloads.
• Transcoding: The Orange Pi 5's NPU and media engine can handle multiple 4K/8K streams effortlessly (with the right software setup), outperforming the Pi 5.

2. Storage Speed (NVMe)

• Raspberry Pi 5: Supports NVMe, but you need an external HAT. The interface is PCIe 2.0 x1, capping speeds around 450-800 MB/s.
• Orange Pi 5: Has a built-in M.2 slot. The Plus model supports PCIe 3.0 x4, delivering speeds up to 2000-3000 MB/s. Winner: Orange Pi 5

3. Networking

• Raspberry Pi 5: Standard Gigabit Ethernet.
• Orange Pi 5 Plus: Dual 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports. This makes it viable as a high-speed router or firewall, something the Pi 5 can't match natively.

Power Consumption

Both boards are incredibly efficient, but the Pi 5 runs hotter than its predecessors.

• Idle:
  • Raspberry Pi 5: ~2.5 - 3W
  • Orange Pi 5: ~1.8 - 3.3W (surprisingly efficient given the performance)
• Load:
  • Raspberry Pi 5: ~8-10W
  • Orange Pi 5: ~7-9W

The Orange Pi 5 actually offers better "performance per watt" in many scenarios.

The Software Ecosystem: The Pi's Secret Weapon

This is where the Raspberry Pi 5 strikes back.

• Raspberry Pi OS: Rock-solid, huge community, everything "just works."
• Orange Pi OS / Armbian: Support has improved massively, but you might still encounter driver quirks, especially with the GPU/NPU. However, for headless server use (Docker, CLI), Armbian on Orange Pi 5 is excellent.

Which One is for You?

Buy the Raspberry Pi 5 if:

• You are a beginner and want the easiest setup experience.
• You rely on specific HATs or GPIO accessories.
• You want the best community support and documentation.

Buy the Orange Pi 5 (especially the Plus model) if:

• Performance is priority: You want to run many containers, compile code, or transcode media.
• You need fast storage: Native NVMe support without HATs is cleaner and faster.
• You need 2.5GbE: Essential for faster NAS speeds or networking projects.
• You need >8GB RAM: The 16GB and 32GB models are game-changers for virtualization.

Verdict

For a pure home server, the Orange Pi 5 Plus is superior hardware. It's a mini-server powerhouse. The Raspberry Pi 5 remains the king of education and tinkering, but for 24/7 server duties, the Orange Pi's specs are hard to beat in 2025.