I print a lot. My main workhorse is a Voron 2.4 and I have a Bambu A1 Mini as a backup, and behind both of them sit Raspberry Pi boards running Klipper and OctoPrint. The right Pi kit makes a 3D printer feel like a modern smart device. The wrong kit, or a cheap microSD card, will introduce print failures that you will blame on your printer for months before realizing the Pi was the problem.
The five kits below are the ones I have personally used or stripped for parts. I cared about which actually include the right power supply, real cooling, and a quality SD card or eMMC.
Quick Comparison
| Product | Best For | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 4GB Kit | Best overall | 4.8/5 |
| Vilros Raspberry Pi 5 8GB Kit | Most powerful | 4.7/5 |
| LABISTS Raspberry Pi 4 Starter Kit | Best value | 4.6/5 |
| BTT CB1 with Pi CM4 Carrier | Compact pick | 4.7/5 |
| CanaKit Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Kit | Budget pick | 4.4/5 |
1. CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 4GB Kit - Best Overall
The CanaKit Pi 4 4GB bundle ships with the proper 3A USB-C power supply, a real heatsink, a fan case, a quality SanDisk Ultra 32GB card, and an HDMI cable. It is the kit I keep recommending and the one I run on my Voron.
2. Vilros Raspberry Pi 5 8GB Kit - Most Powerful
The Vilros Pi 5 8GB kit is the answer if you plan to run multiple printers, a Klipper Mainsail dashboard, and a 1080p webcam stream all from one board. Active cooler included, real 27W power brick.
3. LABISTS Raspberry Pi 4 Starter Kit - Best Value
The LABISTS Pi 4 2GB kit hits the right price for a single OctoPrint setup without a webcam. The 2GB of RAM is enough for OctoPrint and basic timelapse, just not for heavy plugins.
4. BTT CB1 with Pi CM4 Carrier - Compact Pick
The BigTreeTech CB1 with carrier board mounts directly to certain BTT boards via a header, eliminating the cable mess. Klipper runs natively and the form factor is tiny.
5. CanaKit Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Kit - Budget Pick
The Pi Zero 2 W kit is the smallest possible footprint at the cheapest possible price. Fine for OctoPrint without a webcam on a small printer. Not the right call for Klipper.
What Matters Most
The microSD card matters more than the Pi model. A cheap no-name card will corrupt itself after a few weeks of constant writes from Klipper logging, killing your prints mid-job. Always use a SanDisk Ultra, Samsung Evo, or PNY Performance card.
My Setup
CanaKit Pi 4 4GB running Klipper with Mainsail on my Voron 2.4, with a Logitech C270 webcam on USB and a 64GB SanDisk Extreme card. Uptime measured in months, not days.
Common Mistakes
Using a phone charger to power the Pi. Klipper and OctoPrint demand a steady 3A on the 5V rail. Undervoltage causes random reboots that look like print failures. Always use the official 3A power supply that comes with the kit.
Final Recommendation
For most printer owners the CanaKit Pi 4 4GB is the right buy. Multi-printer farms should jump to the Pi 5 8GB. If you want the cleanest install on a BTT board, the CB1 carrier is hard to beat.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Pi 5 or is a Pi 4 enough for Klipper?+
Pi 4 with 4GB is enough for Klipper on a single printer. Pi 5 is overkill unless you run multiple printers or a webcam stream at 1080p60.
Can a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W run OctoPrint?+
Yes for basic file streaming, but slicing previews and webcam streaming will choke it. Get a Pi 4 if you can budget it.