Raspberry Pi has raised prices on many Pi 4, Pi 5, and Compute Module models as memory costs surge in 2026, undermining its once-low-cost SBC positioning.
yes as others have said. microcontroller with decent io and wifi, fairly easy to make web interfaces which is handy.
A step up from arduino and i dont think it eats too much more power if the wifi is used sparingly.
I’ve got a wildlife infrared camera made off a pi zero.
I reckon if i can switch that to esp32 the battery life might stretch quite a bit - or i can shrink the case to a smaller battery.
raspberry pipico would probably do similar tbf, but i bought like 10 esp32 for cheap. but i’m not quite sure how well they handle the image processing triggering.
There’s loads of projects like this that people have done and you can just put them together for a few tens of quid and a few hours of time if you dont have to write the software.
They are excellent in the hobby world. It’s generally when you need to do a bit of quick logic, an ESP32 can be dropped in to do it. E.g. change the colour of an led depending on a sensor.
They also form the core of a lot of IoT devices. Simple sensors and relays that can connect to WiFi and throw up a simple web interface. ESPhome, tasmota and WLED exist to make this extremely easy.
They are basically the hobbiest electronic multi tool. Powerful enough to do most jobs without bothering with code optimisation. Cheap enough to throw in and leave there.
I have a n ESP32 with a thermocouple stuffed down my (gas) oven chimney, so I can tell what temperature it actually is (about 40°F/20°C cooler than the dial).
I have one plugged into an addressable LED matrix, which has yet to get mounted, but will eventually be a closet/dressing light. There’s a few places where I’d like a ‘normal’ warm white light, with the option to switch to a blinding daylight for chores, and maybe a low-light, colorful animated nightlight.
I have a Pi-0w reading temp/humidity/CO2 in a grow tent that’s a good candidate for ESP32-ification. I have an air quality sensor plugged directly into a Home Assistant server that could go on ESP32 if I wanted it in a different location. Humidity in the bathroom, with a controller for the bathroom fan is another good candidate.
If I can come up with a good way to put them on battery, with a 6-12 month lifetime, then temperature in the attic, and on the input/output sides of the HVAC would be useful.
Just curious, what is your use case for ESPhome/ESP32? I am still not sure what people do with it.
yes as others have said. microcontroller with decent io and wifi, fairly easy to make web interfaces which is handy. A step up from arduino and i dont think it eats too much more power if the wifi is used sparingly.
I’ve got a wildlife infrared camera made off a pi zero. I reckon if i can switch that to esp32 the battery life might stretch quite a bit - or i can shrink the case to a smaller battery. raspberry pipico would probably do similar tbf, but i bought like 10 esp32 for cheap. but i’m not quite sure how well they handle the image processing triggering.
Recently i’ve been making these: https://github.com/gadec-uk/departures-board as gifts for people who i know that live in London who i sometimes stay with. extremely useful.
There’s loads of projects like this that people have done and you can just put them together for a few tens of quid and a few hours of time if you dont have to write the software.
They are excellent in the hobby world. It’s generally when you need to do a bit of quick logic, an ESP32 can be dropped in to do it. E.g. change the colour of an led depending on a sensor.
They also form the core of a lot of IoT devices. Simple sensors and relays that can connect to WiFi and throw up a simple web interface. ESPhome, tasmota and WLED exist to make this extremely easy.
They are basically the hobbiest electronic multi tool. Powerful enough to do most jobs without bothering with code optimisation. Cheap enough to throw in and leave there.
I have a n ESP32 with a thermocouple stuffed down my (gas) oven chimney, so I can tell what temperature it actually is (about 40°F/20°C cooler than the dial).
I have one plugged into an addressable LED matrix, which has yet to get mounted, but will eventually be a closet/dressing light. There’s a few places where I’d like a ‘normal’ warm white light, with the option to switch to a blinding daylight for chores, and maybe a low-light, colorful animated nightlight.
I have a Pi-0w reading temp/humidity/CO2 in a grow tent that’s a good candidate for ESP32-ification. I have an air quality sensor plugged directly into a Home Assistant server that could go on ESP32 if I wanted it in a different location. Humidity in the bathroom, with a controller for the bathroom fan is another good candidate.
If I can come up with a good way to put them on battery, with a 6-12 month lifetime, then temperature in the attic, and on the input/output sides of the HVAC would be useful.