Raspberry Pi 5 16GB Now Costs $385, Triple Its Launch Price Amid Memory Crunch
Raspberry Pi raised its 16GB Pi 5 to $385, more than triple its launch price, citing a shortage of 16GB memory that may last into the late 2020s.
According to TechRadar, Raspberry Pi has raised the price of its 16GB Raspberry Pi 5 by $80, bringing the board to $385. The outlet notes that this is more than triple the $120 it cost at launch in January 2025, and says the increase comes on top of earlier price changes for the model.
Company CEO Eben Upton confirmed the increase in a blog post, TechRadar reports. He attributed the change to a lack of alternative 16GB DRAM supply, which he said has been made worse by wider shortages of other components.
The same pricing round raises the 16GB versions of Compute Module 5 by $40, according to the report. Compute Modules are designed for industrial products and embedded systems rather than hobby use, so the change reaches a different group of buyers.
TechRadar also reports that Raspberry Pi has described the hikes as temporary. However, the outlet says memory manufacturers expect supply to remain tight until somewhere between 2028 and 2030, a timeline that does not clearly match the company's description. The report presents the price rise as the latest sign of the board moving well beyond the low-cost roots the brand is known for.
Background
Raspberry Pi built its reputation on small, inexpensive single-board computers that people use for learning to code, home projects, media servers, robotics and embedded prototypes. Its appeal has always rested on a simple promise: a capable computer that costs less than a meal out. Higher-memory models were introduced to serve people who need more room for demanding software, and they have generally been positioned as premium options within the lineup.
Memory chips, known as DRAM when used as working memory, are a commodity component, but their prices move in cycles. Manufacturers add capacity slowly and expand or cut production based on forecast demand, so shortages can persist for long periods after demand spikes. In recent years, a large share of advanced memory production has been directed toward high-end chips for data centers and artificial intelligence hardware, which can leave less capacity for older or lower-volume memory types used in consumer and small-board products.
Small device makers face a particular disadvantage in these markets. Large electronics companies usually sign long-term supply contracts and buy in volumes that give them leverage with suppliers. Smaller companies buy on shorter terms and have less influence over allocation, so they are often the first to feel changes in availability and cost. Single-board computers also depend on a wide range of other parts, including processors, connectors, power management chips and storage, so a shortage in one area can ripple through the whole bill of materials.
Price increases for electronics are not unusual, but they carry more weight when a product is aimed at students, educators and hobbyists who may have limited budgets and few alternatives that offer the same ecosystem and software support.
Why it matters
The price change touches several groups at once. Individual hobbyists who wanted the 16GB model for heavier workloads now face a cost that is far above the original launch price, which may push some toward cheaper boards with less memory or toward used or older hardware. Schools and community programs that buy in bulk will feel the effect on their budgets, and they may need to rethink how many units they can afford.
The story also shows how shortages in one part of the technology sector can spill into unrelated product categories. Demand for memory driven by large AI infrastructure projects is one of the forces TechRadar's reporting points to in the broader context of component pricing, even though the report centers on a specific board. For consumers, that means the cost of ordinary devices may remain sensitive to developments far outside their own market.
There is also a question of trust. A company that markets its products as accessible has to explain why its flagship price has risen so sharply. How clearly Raspberry Pi communicates the causes, timing and expected duration of these changes will shape how customers judge future pricing decisions, especially if the promised relief arrives later than hoped.
Finally, the story is a reminder that the cost of building and maintaining hardware depends on supply chains that most buyers never see. When those chains tighten, even well-established small companies can find themselves unable to hold prices steady.
What to watch
The most important signal will be whether Raspberry Pi gives a clearer timeline for when the price increases might be reversed or reduced, and what conditions would trigger that change. The gap between the company's description of the hikes as temporary and the longer supply outlook reported by TechRadar makes that detail especially important.
Watch whether the company offers lower-memory alternatives or adjusts its pricing for educational buyers. Pricing for other models in the lineup, and for Compute Modules, will also show how widely the pressure is being felt across the product range.
Industry memory prices and reports from major memory makers will indicate whether supply is improving or remaining constrained. Competing single-board computer makers may face similar pressures, and their pricing decisions will help show whether this is a company-specific issue or a wider market trend.
Viewpoints
Commentary from our columns: three angles on this story.
The User what changes for people who use it
If you have ever tried to set up a classroom or a weekend project around a Raspberry Pi, this news lands in a very practical way. The 16GB model was never the cheapest option, but it was the one people reached for when they needed room to work. Now that choice costs far more than it did at launch, and the decision becomes harder for teachers, parents and tinkerers who were planning around the original price.
The real change is in what people buy. Some will settle for less memory and accept slower performance. Others will look at older hardware, refurbished units or entirely different boards. A few may give up on a project they had planned for months. None of those outcomes is catastrophic, but each one reflects a small loss of access to tools that many people rely on to learn.
For users, the most useful thing the company can do now is be specific. Clear guidance about what the price increase means for existing projects, classrooms and bulk orders would help people plan rather than guess.
The Ledger the business angle
From a business standpoint, this is a company testing how much its customers will tolerate when input costs rise faster than it can absorb them. Raspberry Pi has built a loyal base, and loyalty buys some room for price changes. The question is how much room, and for how long, especially when the increase is so large relative to the original price.
The chief executive's explanation points to a shortage of 16GB memory and wider component pressure. That is a plausible reason, and it fits a market where memory supply is being pulled toward large-scale AI hardware. But a small buyer has little leverage in that scramble. Long-term supply contracts go to the largest customers, which leaves smaller firms exposed to whatever the spot market offers.
Watch the margins and the volume. If sales hold up, the company may conclude that customers accept the new prices. If educational and hobbyist demand drops, the trade-off becomes more painful. Either way, this is a clear example of how component economics can reshape a product's place in the market.
The Skeptic open questions and weak points
The company calls these increases temporary, but the supply outlook reported by TechRadar runs into the late 2020s. Those two statements can both be true, yet they leave a large gap. Nobody outside the company has a clear picture of how long the price will stay high, and a promise of temporary pricing without a condition or a date is hard to test.
It is also worth asking what the explanation does not say. The CEO points to a lack of alternative 16GB memory and to broader shortages. Those are reasonable factors, but the public account does not show how much of the increase comes from memory costs versus other parts, labor, or margin decisions. Readers should be cautious about treating any single explanation as the full story.
The open questions are straightforward. How long will the higher price last? Will the company offer lower-memory options for schools? And how will the changes affect people who bought into the platform expecting a low-cost computer? Until those answers are clearer, the claim of temporariness deserves a skeptical look.